What Matters in Online Education: Exploring the Impacts of Instructional Interactions on Learning Outcomes

Instructional interactions, which includes student–student interaction (SS), student–teacher interaction (ST), and student–content interaction (SC), are crucial factors affecting the learning outcomes in online education. The current study aims to explore the effects of instructional interactions on individuals’ learning outcomes (i.e., academic performance and learning satisfaction) based on the Interactive Equivalence Theory by conducting two empirical studies. In Study 1, we explored the direct relationships between instructional interactions and learning outcomes. A quasi-experimental design was used to manipulate the two groups of subjects (n1 = 192; n2 = 195), and the results show that not all of the three types of interaction can significantly positively predict learning satisfaction, among which ST cannot significantly predict learning satisfaction. When the total amount of instructional interactions is constant, adjusting the relative level of the three types of instructional interactions can effectively improve the learning outcomes to some extent. We further probed into the mediating effects of task value and self-regulated learning on the relationships between instructional interactions and learning outcomes in Study 2. We conducted an online survey and collected 374 valid data. The results showed that task values mediated the relationship between SS and learning satisfaction. In addition, SC can not only directly affect learning satisfaction, but also affect it through task value and self-regulated learning respectively, or via chain mediations of both task value and self-regulated learning. Our findings enrich the previous instructional interactions research and provide reference for online education curriculum design.

Instructor facilitation mediates students’ negative perceptions of active learning instruction

Studies have demonstrated students’ resistance to active learning, despite evidence illustrating that their learning is improved relative to students in lectures. Specifically, while active learning and group work are effective at engaging students in their learning process, studies report that students’ perceptions of active learning approaches are not always positive. What remains underexplored is whether students’ perceptions of active learning improve with effective instructor facilitation and whether there exists differential perceptions between racially minoritized students and represented students. Here, we estimate students’ perceptions of effective instructor facilitation as the mediator in the relationship between active learning and perceptions of learning and perceived utility for class activities (task value). Then, we examine differences by racial identification. We collected classroom observation data to empirically categorize courses as active learning or lecture-based and surveyed 4,257 college students across 25 STEM classrooms at a research-intensive university. We first examined the relationship between active learning on student perceptions and found a negative relationship between active learning and perceptions of learning and task value for both racially minoritized students and represented students. Next, we assessed whether students’ perceptions of instructor effectiveness in facilitating group activities mediate these negative relationships. We found that, on average, students of all races were more likely to positively perceive instructor facilitation in active learning classes relative to lectures. In turn, the positive perceptions of instructor facilitation partially suppressed the negative relationship between active learning and perceptions of learning and task value. These results demonstrate that effective instructor facilitation can influence both students’ self-assessment of learning and perceived utility of the learning activities, and underscores the importance of developing pedagogical competence among college instructors.

Task-level value affects trial-level reward processing and control

Despite disagreement about how anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) supports decision making, a recent hypothesis suggests that activity in this region is best understood in the context of a task or series of tasks. One important task-level variable is average reward because it is both a known driver of effortful behaviour and an important determiner of the tasks in which we choose to engage. Here we asked how average task value affects reward-related ACC activity. To answer this question, we measured a reward-related signal said to be generated in ACC called the reward positivity (RewP) while participants gambled in three tasks of differing average value. The RewP was reduced in the high-value task, an effect that was not explainable by either reward magnitude or outcome expectancy. Average task value also affected cue-locked frontal midline theta (FMT), an ACC signal linked to cognitive control: FMT was enhanced for low-value cues relative to high-value cues. This effect was related to behaviour, as the more FMT a participant exhibited, the better they performed. These results suggest that ACC does not evaluate outcomes and cues in isolation, but in the context of the value of the current task.

Dampening Effects of Perceived Teacher Enthusiasm on Class-Related Boredom in College Students: Longitudinal Mediation Effects of Perceived Task Value

This study aims to explore the longitudinal mediation effects of college students’ perceived task value (PTV) between perceived teacher enthusiasm (PTE) and class-related boredom (CB). We conducted a longitudinal survey among college students from five colleges at the second (T1), sixth (T2), tenth (T3), and fourteenth week (T4) in a semester, and overall 1,371 students completed all the measurements. In the survey, a battery of questionnaires was used to measure the students’ PTE, perception of task difficulty, perception of task value, and CB. At T1, boredom proneness was measured as a control variable. Analysis of the longitudinal data showed that after controlling for the effects of boredom proneness and perceived task difficulty, students’ PTE was a significant predictor of CB, and students’ PTV played a significant mediating role in this causation relationship. The study supported the importance of the control-value theory in explaining the mitigating effect of students’ PTE on CB, especially highlighting the role of PTV.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF ODUDUWA UNIVERSITY, IPETU-MODU, NIGERIA: MODERATING ROLES OF PERSONALITY TRAITS AND TASK VALUE

The thrust of the study was to investigate the level of academic dishonesty among undergraduate students of Oduduwa University, Ipetu-modu, Nigeria, and to examine the factors that could predispose students to academic dishonesty. These were with a view to providing information on the factors that could predispose students to academic dishonesty. The study employed the survey research design. A sample of 500 students was selected for the study using a multistage sampling procedure. An adapted instrument titled “Questionnaire on Personality Traits, Task Value and Students’ Academic Dishonesty (QPTSA) was used to collect data from the students. The results showed that there was a low level of involvement in academic dishonesty among the students 286(57.5%). It was showed there was a significant relationship between extraversion (β = .051, p < 0.05), agreeableness (β = .131, p < 0.05), neuroticism (β = .327, p < 0.05), openness (β = .002, p < 0.05) and academic dishonesty, while a negative relationship existed between conscientiousness (β =.-264, p > 0.05) and academic dishonesty. Lastly, the result showed that there was a negative correlation between task value and academic dishonesty among undergraduate students (r = -.028, p >0.05). It was concluded that the incident of academic dishonesty was low among the students in the study area. However, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness were responsible for the academic dishonesty among the students in the study area.