Normore,+L+2011

Effects of Communication Medium on Class Participation: Comparing Face-to-Face and Discussion Board Communication Rates
Normore, L & Blaylock, B. 2011

JELIS 2011 (52,3) p 198-211

LIS education is moving toward programs that may be delivered in either face-to-face or online modes, but it remains an open question whether the medium of communication itself differentiates the tendency of students to interact with their instructor and other students. Since class credit is often associated with the extent to which students participate in class discussions, it is of practical as well as theoretical importance that we gather data about this effect. This study provides a controlled look at class participation rates in a single class in which individual students had the opportunity to participate in both modes. It interprets the results in the light of theories concerning forms of communication apprehension and factors related to the nature of the individual (“trait”) rather than a function of media context (“state”). Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
 * Abstract**