Reaction_week04

This paper is clearly describing the major interactions would happen in the learning process and providing the Equivalency theorem of interaction. I agree that this theorem will help educators think about how much they should pay attention to interaction among student-student, student-teacher and student-content. According exactly to the author said, as long as one of the three types of interaction is at high level, deep and meaningful formal learning is supported. A curriculum can be deemed successful depends on whether its educational objects achieved or not. So, what types of interaction should play an important role during the learning process is the core concern when educators design curriculum and make a decision choosing what kinds of resource to help learning.

“The value of content is dependent on the extent to which it engages students or teachers in interaction, leading to relevant knowledge construction.” For me, I strongly advocate that content plays an influential role on interactions between student-content and teacher-content. If teachers are knowledgeable and professional about the course, instructing the lessons systemically and definitely, and providing useful, relative and abundant resources, no mater the course is held in a community of inquiry or a dependent study, the “content” is sufficient itself and teacher-content interaction is at high level. The trigger is how to motivate students engage in the course. If students are naturally having interests in this topic, the student-content interaction is absolutely at high level; or the tasks/activities are attractive, the motivation might be raised up and the student-content interaction might gradually grow up during learning process.

I have a question that how author defined student-student, student-teacher and student-content interaction is at high, medium or low level. In this paper, for example, it just said that “the traditional lecture mode of delivery has medium levels of student-teacher interaction, low levels of student-student interaction and medium to low levels of student-content interaction.” It also listed the levels of interaction happened in distance education delivery, audio and video conferencing and web-based courses. But, I wonder how the decision is made to judge its level.