Most distance education experts recommend that interactivity is planned and deliberate or it is unlikely to be meaningful. Detailed studies of student-teacher interaction conclude that increased interaction improves student achievement and attitudes toward learning. Flanders, N.A. (1970). Analyzing Teacher Behavior. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

The use of computer mediated conferencing for student and teacher interaction seems to have produced generally positive results. Harasim, L. (1990). Online Education: Perspectives on a New Environment. New York: Praeger., Waggoner, M. (1992). Empowering Networks: Computer Conferencing in Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Amount of student-teacher interaction increased as the complexity of learning increased; meaning that there was more interaction at an application level than for memory tasks. Nichol, P. (1994). A Descriptive Study to Determine the Relationship Between the Nature of Student Interactivity and the Scheme for Learning in Courses Presented Over Live Television. Washington, DC: The George Washington University.

Extensive guidelines for interactive media: Locht, R.H. (1993). Interactive Television & Instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Schwier, R.A., & Misanchuk, E. (1993). Interactive Multimedia Instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

The perception of interactivity may be as important as actual interaction. A study of learner perceptions in a course delivered by instructional television revealed the critical predictor of student course satisfaction was not the extent of personal interaction, but the perception of overall interaction. Fulford, C. P. & Zhang, S. (1993). Perceptions of interaction: The critical predictor in distance education. American Journal of Distance Education, 7(3), 8-21.

revised 5/22/98