Can more interactivity improve learning achievement in an online course? Effects of college students\' perception and actual use of a course-management system on their learning achievement

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how interactivity influence learners\' use of interactive functions in the course-management system (CMS) and their online learning performance. A two-tier mediation framework is proposed to examine the mediating effects of different actual-use records concerning the CMS\'s interactive functions. Data are collected from 381 undergraduate students who enrolled in a general-education asynchronous online course from three universities in Taiwan. The results indicate that the relationships among students\' self-reported use of interactive functions, students\' perceptions of the usefulness of interactive functions, and students\' actual-use logs have some direct influences on students\' online learning performance (online-discussion scores, exam scores, and group-project scores). In addition, students\' actual-use logs (the number of times of log-ins to the online course, the number of times students read learning materials, and the number of postings on the discussion board) have a mediated effect on students\' self-reported frequency of logging into the CMS, students\' self-reported frequency of using the learner-instructor/learner-learner interactive functions, and online learning performance. The findings and implications could constitute a useful guide for educational practitioners and designers concerned with the effective integration of interactivity into future online courses. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.