Dissertation Information for John F. Morton NAME: - John F. Morton
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- University of Hawaii (USA) (1997)
ADVISORS: - Laku Chidambaram
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Raymond Panko - Curtis P. Ho - Jeffrey Cole Ady - Marie Kathleen Iding
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: The effects of computer-mediated communication on faculty-student interaction outside the classroom
Abstract: The effects of electronic mail and class discussion lists on faculty-student interaction outside the classroom were examined through a field experiment. The electronic media were introduced into twelve different undergraduate courses in a community college while a second section of the same course taught by the same faculty member served as a control. As part of the experiment faculty maintained a log of the number, type, length, and purposes of all student contacts over the semester.
The introduction of the electronic media increased both the amount of faculty-student interactions and the percentage of students who had some contact with the faculty member. However, expected gains in student retention, student satisfaction with the interaction, and student satisfaction with the course did not materialize. This may be related to a continued low level of interaction between faculty and students that occurs in college courses, even with the introduction of the new medium.
The students who did choose to use electronic mail were significantly younger, carried more credits, were more likely to complete the course, and were more likely to be active contributors to in-class discussions. There were no significant differences between the users and non-users of e-mail with respect to gender, student attitudes towards computers, student attitudes toward faculty interaction, and student satisfaction. A regression analysis revealed five variables contributing to a prediction of the extent of e-mail use--prior use of electronic mail, faculty attitudes towards computers, faculty attitudes toward student interaction, student involvement with in-class discussion, and the cumulative credits students had earned. As predicted, students tended to employ electronic mail for short, logistics communications to a higher degree than in face-to-face meetings, but unexpectedly electronic mail was also more likely to be used for non-course related contacts than face-to-face meetings.
There was also support for theories related to the duality of structure and action in the adaptation of information technology. Concepts such as the degree of access to electronic mail seemed to be the result of social construction rather than a purely physical consideration. Additionally, different approaches to faculty-student interaction were identified, each of which had a different relationship to the effects and use of electronic mail and the resulting adaptation strategies of the faculty member.
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MPACT Scores for John F. Morton A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:31:32
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