Perceived values and benefits of using a synchronous communication tool to support online learning

Online education is becoming increasingly common in today’s technology rich world and it is changing the way content is delivered to students. In this study the researchers investigated student perceptions of a synchronous communication tool used in an online graduate course. The researchers gathered data from surveys that were completed after each virtual session. Preliminary findings suggest that there are several factors that affect how a student perception and use of web conferencing tools, including gender, prior experience with online courses and web conferencing tools, and the number of completed credit hours. Also findings suggest that many students perceive the use of a synchronous communication tool to be useful, but more work needs to be done to better integrate it into online teaching.