Abstract:Distance education offers geographically or time-constrained students access to the full depth and breadth of higher education offerings. Yet, distance education has significant drawbacks, including limitations to communication abilities, feelings of separation from instructors and peers, and an increased likelihood of dropping out. Educational informatics researchers argue that learning is a socially constructed activity, and thus students need to be able to communicate in order to develop a learning community. Consequently, historically, disconnected distance-learning practices were problematic for many students. As distance education has evolved to include a range of online offerings, including for-credit online degree programs and massive open online courses (MOOCs), new technologies have arisen that can make these challenges easier to surmount. Current literature suggests that faculty-encouraged use of both course-based and external Web 2.0 interactive tools may help students in online degree programs to succeed and feel connected to other students and faculty while participating in their distance-education courses. This paper examines the literature on distance education in order to provide a context for future research into communication patterns within MOOC courses, particularly within longer sequences of MOOC courses, and the role of student motivations on student-communication expectations and needs.

中文翻译：

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弥合距离：使用交互式交流工具使在线教育更加社会化

摘要：远程教育为受地理或时间限制的学生提供了全方位的高等教育服务。但是，远程教育有很多缺点，包括沟通能力的局限性，与教师和同伴的分离感以及辍学的可能性增加。教育信息学研究人员认为，学习是一种社会建构的活动，因此学生需要能够交流才能发展学习社区。因此，从历史上看，远程学习实践的脱节对许多学生来说都是成问题的。随着远程教育的发展，包括一系列在线课程，包括以学分为基础的在线学位课程和大规模的在线公开课程（MOOC），已经出现了使这些挑战更容易克服的新技术。当前的文献表明，教师鼓励使用基于课程的和外部Web 2.0交互工具可以帮助在线学位课程的学生在参加远程教育课程时获得成功并与其他学生和教师建立联系。本文研究了有关远程教育的文献，以便为将来在MOOC课程中，尤其是在较长的MOOC课程序列中，以及学生动机对学生交流期望和需求的作用的交流模式提供研究背景。0互动工具可以帮助在线学位课程的学生在参加远程教育课程时取得成功，并与其他学生和教师建立联系。本文研究了有关远程教育的文献，以便为将来在MOOC课程中，尤其是在较长的MOOC课程序列中，以及学生动机对学生交流期望和需求的作用的交流模式提供研究背景。0互动工具可以帮助在线学位课程的学生在参加远程教育课程时取得成功，并与其他学生和教师建立联系。本文研究了有关远程教育的文献，以便为将来在MOOC课程中，尤其是在较长的MOOC课程序列中，以及学生动机对学生交流期望和需求的作用的交流模式提供研究背景。