Evaluation of Interaction Activities Between Students and Lecturer Using UUM Online Learning
Universiti Utara Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Learning Management System (LMS) has become a necessity in the universities because it enhances the teaching and learning environment. Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) implements LMS since 2000 which was formerly known as Learning Zone and has recently been enhanced capability of the system and is known as UUM Online Learning. The system has a range of functions that support teaching and learning activities between lecturers and students. The interaction between lecturers and students in the LMS is very important. In Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory, interactions are categorized under student-lecturer, student-student, and student-content. Effective interaction will further help lecturers to assess the ability of students and students also can interact with their lecturer and their peer via the LMS without any constraints of time and place. The aim of this study was to evaluate some kind of activities in UUM Online Learning often used by lecturers and students to interact. The research employs a case study of two selected classes that fully utilized UUM Online Learning. The first class consists of 39 students and second class has 95 students. The results showed that the activities of interaction are widely used by lecturers to interact with students. Among them are an online quizzes, online assignment submission and grading, class discussions and forums. Students’ satisfaction is considered an important factor in evaluating the interaction activities. The result from the selected classes indicated that students were satisfied with all the interaction activities with their lecturers. Students, however, have difficulties interacting with their peer due to technology barriers and attitude.
KEYWORDS
Learning Management System, UUM Online Learning, Interaction, Satisfaction