The Impact of Social Interaction on Student Learning.

Abstract

Due to the lack of student engagement in the common lecturecentered model, we explored a model of instructional delivery where our undergraduate and graduate classes were structured so that students had opportunities for daily interaction with each other.Specifically, we examined how students perceived the value of social interaction on their learning by reflecting on their classroom experiences at the end of each class period.Three literacy teacher preparation courses during a summer session were chosen for this study based on the highly interactive nature of each course.The purpose of the study was not to determine the difference between different models of instruction, but to determine our students' perceptions of the value of the social interaction that was taking place in our classrooms on their learning.The findings reveal that students in all three courses perceived that social interaction improved their learning by enhancing their knowledge of literacy and teaching and their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.