| A quantitative, causal-comparative design was used to examine the relationship between a learner's level of professional experience in the content discipline and the benefit the learner perceived as resulting from feedback interactions in an online course. Feedback interactions are interactions during which information that allows learners to judge the quality of their performance is communicated. Sixty-two counselors and social service professionals enrolled in four sections of a six-module, instructor-led, online training course on treatment planning were surveyed using online questionnaires after the first and last modules. Participants were queried regarding the perceived benefit received from the use of (a) checklists and other materials to self-assess, (b) reading assignments, (c) peer feedback on the discussion board, (d) peer feedback on assignments, (e) instructor feedback on the discussion board, and (f) instructor feedback on assignments. The study focused on the feedback benefits most often suggested by the literature: (a) confirmation of correct responses, (b) correction of errors, and (c) connectedness to the class. Resulting data were analyzed using the Pearson chi square test of independence. Significant relationships were found between the learners' levels of experience and (a) the perceived benefit of instructor feedback on assignments in helping learners feel connected to the class, (b) the perceived benefit of peer feedback on assignments in helping learners feel connected to the class, and (c) the perceived benefit of peer feedback on the discussion board in helping learners feel connected to the class. Given the increasing reliance on online delivery in adult education and training, practices that enhance engagement, persistence, and retention---all factors associated with a learner's sense of connectedness to the class---are of particular interest to instructional designers. In this study, a feedback interaction that helped one learner feel connected to the class had a different effect on another learner, and this difference depended on the learner's level of experience. For the instructional design field, the implications are that best practices for promoting a sense of community through feedback interactions online cannot be one-size-fits-all but must include guidelines for various learner levels of experience. |
