Interaction through mobile technology in short-term university courses

Abstract

Nowadays, online or distance learning postgraduate schools program the academic period in different sequentially developed modules. This article assesses the impact of the programming of short-term university courses (30–60 days) on the frequency and quality of interaction when communication takes place through mobile technologies. Frequency corresponded to the messages generated by actors in learning environments, and quality was quantified using a scale of interaction levels operated by assessing the content of the messages issued by the actors. Results revealed that there is no correlation between interaction and academic performance in short-term courses. Additionally, a downward trend was observed in the number of individuals involved and in the frequency and quality of interaction throughout the course.

Keywords

• Education
• Interaction approach
• Collaborative learning environment
• Mobile communication
• Short-term effects
• University course