Learning mediated by social network for education in K-12: Levels of interaction, strategies and difficulties

Abstract

This study aims to capture evidence on the effectiveness of emergency remote learning mediated by educational technology according to the interaction levels of K-12 students. The study involved students from a public institution that adopted emergency remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. From a mixed approach that used quantitative and qualitative methods, data from 963 students were collected and analyzed on the domain and use of the virtual learning environment Redu. Data were collected through student interactions and classified according to eleven classes that were used to identify the level and characteristics of those interactions between students and educators. We also performed interviews with 13 students based on their interaction patterns (highly interact, sporadically interact, rarely interact) to characterize the students’ interaction strategies within the virtual learning environment and strategies without the use of the virtual learning environment. It was found that students seek other means to interact and to send requests for help, regularly interact about school content, participate in discussions, and contact peers and teachers. The results can serve as a basis for proposing new functionalities for virtual learning environments.