As I read some of the discussion board responses by the students in the IT 6135 course, I find that much of what I have observed online in regards to student interactions was discussed in Dr. Zhang class the first two nights. I observed that first stage framework at work. For example, during the first discussion board assignments in IT 6135, a few students were having problems with the technology.
The stage one framework model identified technology concerns: access as a major issue concerning students and facilitator. I observed students socializing while in the discuss room deciding the groups and which topic they feel are important and changing topic and groups two or three times throughout the experiences. However, in the end, the students were able to form groups and choose topic of interest.
The students are now at a point where they are discussing various units with specific objectives and sharing thoughts and ideas. The students are getting to know each other strengths and weakness. At this stage, the information exchange is vital as it helps the students build knowledge and gain skills from others while online. The students exchanged ideas, talk about how technology funding and protocol at their schools influences technology utilization and other important topics.
By now, I have concluded that the students should enter the knowledge construction stage where they are conferencing and designing their presentation.
