Perceived media richness and performance outcomes:

Testing the effects of Channel Expansion Theory on distance learning

Sheena Williams

OverviewIdentify issueIntroduce Channel Expansion TheoryApply CET to issuePresent hypothesis

Distance LearningNational Center for Education

Statistics defines DL as:

“a formal educational process in which the instructor and the student are not in the same location….instruction might be synchronous or asynchronous” (Parsad & Lewis, 2008, para. 1).

Thus, technology has removed the restrictions of time and space

StudentsWho benefits from distance learning courses?

Individuals with disabilitiesParentsFull-time employees Students in areas where transportation as an issueMilitary

EnrollmentRobust increase in enrollment

6.9 million students in 2012 (Allen & Seaman, 2013)

77% of campuses offer online courses (AndersonAvouris,

Boyles, & Rainie, 2012)

70% of universities have DL as part of long-term strategy

FtF vs. CMC

Can online education be as beneficial for students as classroom learning?

Course DesignFundamental change from traditional

learningHeavily rely on communication (Hiltz, 1990; Schrum, 1995; Schrum &

Lamb, 1996)

One-on-one with faculty Group work with peers Discussion Boards

DL Issue

High Attrition RatesPoor performance

(Owens, Hardcastel, & Richardson, 2009; Schrum, 1997; Sitzmann, Bell, & Bauer, 2010; Wiesenberg & Hutton, 1996)

Performance Outcomes

The observed scores relating to the level of achievement that can be compared against a scale to determine a level of proficiency and/or comprehension

Student PerformanceStudent perceptions of technology and its use

in communicating with faculty and peers Students struggle with….

technical issues understanding technology communication with faculty and other students course content and context

(Owens, Hardcastel, & Richardson, 2009; Schrum, 1997; Sitzmann, Bell, & Bauer, 2010; Wiesenberg & Hutton, 1996)

Student PerformanceParticipation lower than expected (Wiesenburg & Hutton, 1996).

Students frequently felt isolated (Owens, Hardcastel, &

Richardson, 2009)

Technology alters communication (Lea & Spears, 1991)

What to consider….

Technology alters a student’s ability

to effectively communicate

Participation and understanding of course material

Affect performance

outcome

Channel Expansion TheoryCarlson & Zmud (1994)

Media richness depends on a user’s perception of the medium

CET RootsMedia Richness Theory (Daft & Lengel, 1986)

Uncertainty

Equivocality

Media Richness

Media RichnessImportant in creating a shared understanding

in communicationAbility to encode and decode

Avoid misunderstandings/unclear messages

CET & Media RichnessNot dependant on channel’s characteristics

but the user’s perception of the channel in reducing equivocality and uncertainty

Perceived Richness

an individual’s self-reported appraisal of the ability of a medium to overcome uncertainty and equivocality

Effective Communication“communication effectiveness and richness

perceptions are strongly bounded by a channel user’s communication experiences” (Carlson & Zmud, 1999)

Perceptions of richnessBased on prior knowledge-building

experience with:Medium PartnerTopicContext

More Experience

Richer/more effective media

CET and Media RichnessChannel

Partner

Topic

Context

Leaner

Richer

CET and Media RichnessMedia richness is:

FluidSubjectiveLinear and developing across time.

Channel SelectionAs you gain experience you are able to select

which channel will fit your needs

ExperiencePerceived Richness

Effective Communicat

ion

CET AppliedVarious mediaDiverse situationsCET applied to educational context (Fernandez, Simo, Sallan, &

Enache, 2013)

Different individuals showed different overall levels of perceived media richness Experience with the channel and with the partner

significantly relate to the perception of the online forum’s richness

Hypothesis

The richer a student perceives a channel to be, the greater their performance outcome will be in a distance learning course using that channel.

ReferencesAllen, I. E. & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the United States. New York, NY: The Sloan

Consortium. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/Anderson, J.Q., Boyles, J.L., & Rainie, L. (2012). The future impact of the Internet on higher education: Experts expect more-efficient

collaborative environments and new grading schemes; they worry about massive online courses, the shift away from on-campus life. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center, Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org

Burgoon, J. K., Bonito, J. A., Ramirez, A., Jr., Dunbar, N. E., Kam, K., & Fischer, J. (2002). Testing the interactivity principle: Effects of mediation, propinquity, and verbal and nonverbal modalities in interpersonal interaction. Journal of Communication, 52, 657-677. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2002.tb02567.x

Carlson, J. R., & Zmud, R. W. (1999). Channel expansion theory and the experiential nature of media richness perceptions. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 153-170.doi:10.2307/257090

Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design. Management Science, 32, 554–571. doi:10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554

Fernandez, V., Simo, P., Sallan, J. M., & Enache, M. (2013). Evolution of online discussion forum richness according to channel expansion theory: A longitudinal panel data analysis. Computers & Education, 62, 32-40. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.020

Parsad, B. & Lewis, L. (2008). Distance education at degree-granting postsecondary institutions: 2006-07. (NCES 2009044). Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov

Ngwenyama, Ojelanki K., & Lee, Allen S. (1997). Communication richness in electronic mail: Critical social theory and the contextuality of meaning. MIS Quarterly, 21, 145-167. doi:10.2307/249417

Owens, J., Hardcastel, L., & Richardson, B. (2009). Learning from a distance: The experience of remote students. Journal of Distance Education, 23, 57–74. Retrieved from http://www.jofde.ca/

Rozell, E. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2000). Cognitive, motivation, and affective processes associated with computer-related performance: A path analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 16, 199-222. doi:10.1016/S0747-5632(99)00054-0

Schrum, L. (1998). On-line education: A study of emerging pedagogy. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education, 78, 53-61. doi:10.1002/ace.7806

Schrum, L. (1995). Educators and the Internet: A case study of professional development. Computers & Education, 24, 221-228. doi: 10.1016/0360-1315(95)00012-B

Schrum, L., & Lamb, T. A. (1996). Groupware for collaborative learning: A research perspective on processes, opportunities, and obstacles. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 2, 717–731. Retrieved from http://www.jucs.org/

Sitzmann, T., Ely, K., Bell, B. S., & Bauer, K. N. (2010). The effects of technical difficulties on learning and attrition during online training. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 16, 281-292. doi:10.1037/a0019968