New Pedagogical Tools—New Interaction Patterns: Science Teacher Interactions in Distance Education for Professional Development

• In Event: Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Exploring the Space of Science Pedagogical Practices

Abstract

New tools for teaching science education with distance education afford students with a variety of modes of communication. This study examined students’ interactions during a science education distance education course. All interactions that took place with Elluminate Chat, Elluminate Voice, and Moodle learning platforms were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Interactions were coded according to the target of the interaction, the content, and the type of interaction (comment or question). Results showed that the different modes of interaction provided distinctly different opportunities for communication and served different purposes with the instruction. Furthermore, there were individual differences in students’ behaviors across the communication modes. The implications of the study for distance education of science teachers is discussed.

Authors

• Lauren P. Madden, The College of New Jersey

• Melissa Gail Jones, North Carolina State University

• Gina Childers, North Carolina State University