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As access to the internet has continued to grow, web-based learning has continued to expand. With approximately half of the households in the United States (or 150 million people) connected to the internet, an estimated two million students are taking post-secondary courses that are fully delivered online. Millions of other students at all educational levels — primary, secondary, and post-secondary — participate in online courses. However, the effectiveness of online courses, particularly in relation to individual student needs, perceptions, and student outcomes, is sometimes questioned.

Common elements for learning in a typical classroom environment are the social and communicative interactions between student and teacher, and between students themselves. The ability to ask a question, to share an opinion with a fellow student, or to disagree with the point of view in a reading assignment are all fundamental learning activities. However, effective web-based learning requires adjustments on the part of both students and teachers for successful interactions to occur. Many online courses provide students and faculty with the ability to interact with each other via an electronic bulletin or discussion board.

While most studies show a link between interaction and satisfaction in web-based courses, some observers have cautioned that this is not always the case. Ruberg, Taylor, and Moore, for example, observe that in order to interact successfully, students must adjust to the non-linear nature of web-based learning. Typical face-to-face situations tend to be linear, focusing on a single discussion thread. Web-based learning sessions on an electronic bulletin board can have multiple threads, with several discussions and interactions progressing simultaneously. Students respond not only to a teacher but also to other students, depending on their interests and points of view.

Sproull and Kiesler caution about discussions based on misinformation that continue because, online, an instructor cannot necessarily correct or clarify a comment immediately. As a result, students need to have the experience and knowledge base to sift through the discussion for misinformation. In online learning, the amount of student interaction and the number of comments can easily lead to what is described as information overload. Furthermore, comments in online discussions tend to be lengthier than in face-to-face situations. With more information from many sources, students need to be more attentive to both the who and what of a discussion. As the economist Herbert Simon observed, “A wealth of information can create a poverty of attention.”

In examinations of interaction, the concept of presence — or a sense of being in a place and belonging to a group — has received attention. It is generally assumed that when a student is physically present in a face-to-face course, he or she has a sense of belonging to the class or group enrolled in the course, and that this sense of belonging is greater than that experienced in an online course. The student listens to the discussion and may choose to raise a hand to comment, answer, or ask a question. Furthermore, this same student may develop relationships with other students in the class and discuss topics related to the class during a break. However, this is an assumption and not always true. For a variety of reasons, some students can also feel alienated in a face-to-face class and not feel part of a group.

The idea of presence has been redefined in relation to an online course. The simplest definition of presence for an online course refers to a student’s sense of being registered and belonging in a course, and the ability to interact with other students and an instructor even though physical contact is not available. However, as this concept is studied, the definition is expanding and being refined to include telepresence, cognitive presence, social presence, teaching presence, and other forms of presence. The term community is related to presence and refers to a group of individuals who belong to a social unit, such as students in a class. In an online course, however, terms such as communities of inquiry, communities of learners, and knowledge-building communities have evolved.

As the definition of presence has expanded and evolved, a distinction has been made between interaction and presence, emphasizing that they are not the same. Interaction may indicate presence, but it is also possible for a student to interact by posting a message on an electronic bulletin board without necessarily feeling that he or she is part of a group or class.

A study conducted by Professor Anthony Picciano used questionnaires to determine students’ attitudes in relation to their interactions and sense of purpose in online courses. An attempt was made to go beyond student perceptions of interaction and performance and to include perceptions of social presence, as well as actual participation in class activities. In addition, data were collected on performance measures that related specifically to course objectives.

While much of the research, including this study, supports the strong relationship between students’ perception of interaction and perceived learning, the results of the study indicated that the relationship of actual measures of interaction and performance is mixed. The success of many online courses is dependent upon the nature of student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction. However, how interaction affects learning outcomes, and what the relationships between the two are, is in need of further study.