The eClassroom used as a Teacher's Training Laboratory to Measure the Impact of Group Facilitation on Attending, Participation, Interaction, and Involvement.

Authors

  • Mia Lobel Concordia University
  • Randy Swedburg Concordia University
  • Mike Neubauer Stanford University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v3i2.112

Keywords:

group facilitation, interaction pattern, parallel communication, evaluation, online learning

Abstract

This paper describes and quantifies the role of group facilitation in an experiential, real-time, online, university level credit course entitled eAHSC/230 Interpersonal Communications and Relations. A new and unique group interaction pattern called parallel communication, as well as classical elements of group interaction are described and quantified. New measures of online group facilitation attributes with analogous face-to-face (F2F) counterparts are presented. Specifically, the impact of effective group facilitation on Attentiveness, on Interaction, on Involvement, and on Participation is explored. The paper also examines the eClassrom’s potential effectiveness as a real time teaching and training laboratory which also functions as a process observation tool that collects and feeds back interaction data, providing teachers and trainers immediate and ongoing measures of facilitation effectiveness.

Author Biographies

Mia Lobel, Concordia University

Mia Lobel, M.Ed., has been instrumental in developing innovative programs since 1973 when she co-founded the Women's Information and Referral Services of Montreal. In 1985, she received a M.Ed. in Educational and Counseling Psychology, from McGill University. Since then, she has been a part-time faculty member at the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University and a Psychotherapist in private practice. Ms Lobel has developed experiential modules to teach communication skills, conflict management, team building, and diversity for face-to-face and online academic and organizational learning groups. Mia Lobel can be reached via email at mia@alcor.concordia.ca or at mia@learningbydoing.net

Randy Swedburg, Concordia University

R.B. Swedburg, Ed.D., is a professor and chair of the department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. His major research interests are in the areas of lifelong learning, successful aging, and lifestyle. These are areas where he has received many research grants, published frequently and is a speaker locally, nationally, and internationally. His teaching has covered many areas, most recently leisure education, older adulthood and lifelong learning. In 2001 Dr. Swedburg received the Concordia University Alumnae Award for teaching excellence. Fellow and Director, Concordia University Centre for Mature Students; Senior Fellow, American Leisure Academy; Past President of the American Association for Leisure and Recreation; Fellow, North American Society for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; and, Vice-President, Institute Development, Elderhostel Canada are all tiles Dr. Swedburg currently holds or has held. Randy Swedburg can be reached via email at swed@vax2.concordia.ca.

Mike Neubauer, Stanford University

This paper describes and quantifies the role of group facilitation in an experiential, real-time, online, university level credit course entitled eAHSC/230 Interpersonal Communications and Relations. A new and unique group interaction pattern called parallel communication, as well as classical elements of group interaction are described and quantified. New measures of online group facilitation attributes with analogous face-to-face (F2F) counterparts are presented. Specifically, the impact of effective group facilitation on Attentiveness, on Interaction, on Involvement, and on Participation is explored. The paper also examines the eClassrom’s potential effectiveness as a real time teaching and training laboratory which also functions as a process observation tool that collects and feeds back interaction data, providing teachers and trainers immediate and ongoing measures of facilitation effectiveness.

Downloads

Published

2002-10-01

How to Cite

Lobel, M., Swedburg, R., & Neubauer, M. (2002). The eClassroom used as a Teacher’s Training Laboratory to Measure the Impact of Group Facilitation on Attending, Participation, Interaction, and Involvement. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v3i2.112

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2002)

Section

Research Articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. The copyright of all content published in IRRODL is retained by the authors.

This copyright agreement and use license ensures, among other things, that an article will be as widely distributed as possible and that the article can be included in any scientific and/or scholarly archive.

You are free to

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms below:

  • No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.