Online interaction: Trying to get it right

This paper examines the types and depth of online student-content, studentstudent and student-teacher interaction (Moore, 1989) that exist in OUHK courses. Our findings show that: OUHK’s model of distance learning courses had basically not changed. Attempts have been made in some courses to include online interactive exercises and quizzes (similar to those in the print version) and collaborative project work, but the online content and methods in most courses are the same as their print counterparts. The Discussion Board, an asynchronous communication tool, was underused in half the courses. The level of active participation and contribution to discussions was generally low and was made by a small group of active participants. The types of interaction varied from social to extension of study support to sharing of knowledge and experiences. There was little evidence of higher-level academic interactions leading to active construction of knowledge and collaborative learning.