The Video Conferencing Learning Environment in Distance Education: A Study of the Interaction Pattern

This article reports on the study undertaken to elucidate the pattern of interactions in the video conferencing learning environment (VCLE) used as a course delivery mechanism in distance learning. The study involved transcribing the recorded course delivery sessions conducted in the VCLE for three undergraduate physics courses. The model of interaction used in this study was based on the Oliver & McLoughlin (1997) interaction model consisting of five interactive dimensions, namely, the social, procedural, expository, explanatory and cognitive dimensions across five combinations of dialogue exchanges between teachers, students and the class as a whole. The results revealed that there were high frequencies of two-way exchanges between teachers and students in the expository, explanatory and cognitive interactive dimensions. The implication of these findings in terms of the quality of knowledge construction and high level student understanding of the course contents were discussed and elaborated