Social interaction and effectiveness of the online learning – A moderating role of maintaining social distance during the pandemic COVID-19
Asian Education and Development Studies
ISSN: 2046-3162
Article publication date: 5 January 2021
Issue publication date: 3 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The pandemic of COVID-19 has pushed most of the classroom learning to an online environment with which most of the people were not familiar. This study aims to investigate the importance of social interaction on the effectiveness of online learning during the pandemic when social distancing norms are in place.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, a nonparametric method based on total variance, using the SmartPLS software 3.0. The data were collected using the snowball sampling technique from the students who were learning online due to the pandemic COVID-19 and asked them to forward the survey link in their network.
Findings
The results suggested that social interaction has a positive significant impact on the effectiveness of online learning. However, this effect is reduced in the presence of social distance norms as people give more importance to continuous learning and to saving lives rather than socializing in the online environment.
Originality/value
The study will be helpful for instructors and educational institutes to formalize the strategies to enhance social interaction in online learning and analyze their pedagogy to improve effectiveness.
Keywords
Citation
Baber, H. (2022), "Social interaction and effectiveness of the online learning – A moderating role of maintaining social distance during the pandemic COVID-19", Asian Education and Development Studies, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 159-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-09-2020-0209
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited