The Impact of the Learner’s Meta-ability Changes on Interpersonal Relations with Teachers under COVID-19: A Lens of Computer-mediated Communication

December 31, 2021  |  Vol.7, No.12  |  PP. 145-157  | PDF

AUTHORS:

Soon-jeong Cho, College of Global Humanities, Sangmyung University, South Korea

Dong-hyun Lee, Faculty of Design & Creative Technologies, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

KEYWORDS:

Computer-mediated, Communication, Meta-ability, Interpersonal Relations, Distance-Learning, Education, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher education institutions of South Korea have switched to a full-scale distance-learning paradigm. This study aimed to investigate the impact of changes in the learner's meta-ability on interpersonal relations with teachers as well as to examine a causal relationship between the two variables, along with a theoretical lens of computer-mediated communication (CMC). Relying on media richness theory and social information process theory about CMC, the research first mapped out 16 pre-determined variables from the related literature in a proposed conceptual model combining three measurable elements of meta-abilities required for higher education learners and the learner-teacher relationship. In response to the changeover to online education, this empirical work looked into nonverbal messages from 117 students and surveyed 207 students attending a Korean general university after collecting the data in December 2020 and June 2021 over the two academic terms. Empirical results from the survey respondents showed that the changes in meta-cognitive ability and meta-affective ability affected interpersonal relations with teachers; however, changes in meta-social ability left no influences on the learner-teacher relationship. The factor in their school year worked as a moderator, particularly affecting the causal relationship in variables between changes with meta-cognition as well as meta-affection and interpersonal relations. These findings would be noteworthy for university educators and policymakers to understand the impact of the learner's meta-ability changes on interpersonal relations with teachers via CMC in the long-term pandemic context. This study proposes the original CMC-specific theoretical model, and it will eventually contribute to higher education academia and to the field of education informatics whose research interests include rising issues of a distance-learning scenario under COVID-19.

References:

[1] W. H. Hwang, D. H. Lee, A meta-analysis on emotion and mathematics education research, Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society, (2020), Vol.23, No.3, pp.351-375, DOI: 10.30807/ksms.2020.23.3.006
[2] D. Kim, S. La, H. E. Lee, A meta-analysis on the characteristics and effects of meta-cognitive strategic interventions in Korea: Comparison between group-designed studies and single case studies, Asian Journal of Education, (2016), Vol.17, No.3, pp.21-48, UCI: G704-000733.2016.17.3.014
[3] M. S. Ko, Education for the formation of personal relationships through computer-mediated communication: Focused on the philosophy of embodiment and emotion, Journal of Moral & Ethics Education, (2012), No.36, pp.85-113, DOI: 10.18338/kojmee.2012..36.85
[4] H. Torrance, J. Pryor, Developing formative assessment in the classroom: using action research to explore and modify theory, British Educational Research Journal, (2001), Vol.27, No.5, pp.615-631, DOI: 10.1080/0141192012009578
[5] S. W. Han, B. Kim, A study on the response of learners to university online education after Corona 19, Culture and Convergence, (2020), Vol.42, No.10, pp.155-172, DOI: 10.33645/cnc.2020.10.42.10.155
[6] B. K. Lee, A study on learners’ response to online college English class as general education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean Journal of General Education, (2020), Vol.14, No.4, pp.97-112, DOI: 10.46392/kjge.2020.14.4.97
[7] C. Nam, M. Lee, J. Jeon, An exploration of a paradigm shift and development plans for career education in Busan for the post-COVID-19 era, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, (2021), Vol.22, No.3, pp.307-326, DOI: 10.15818/ihss.2021.22.3.307
[8] D. J. Lee, M. Kim, University students’ perceptions on the practices of online learning in the COVID-19 situation and future directions, Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning, (2020), Vol.23, No.3, pp.359-377, DOI: 10.15702/mall. 2020.23.3.359
[9] J. P. William, H. L. Chen, Computer mediated communication and multimodal instruction in higher education, Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication, IGI Global, (2008)
[10] Z. Cemalcilar, Communicating electronically when too far away to visit, Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication, IGI Global, (2008)
[11] B. M. Okdie, R. E. Guadagno, Social influence and computer mediated communication, Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication, IGI Global, (2008)
[12] J. B. Walther, Theories of computer-mediated communication and interpersonal relations, The SAGE Handbook of Interpersonal Communication, 4th ed., Sage Publications, (2011)
[13] R. J. Ocker, The impact of personality on virtual team creativity and quality, Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication, IGI Global, (2008)
[14] Z. Guo, F. Tan, K. Cheung, Students’ uses and gratifications for using computer-mediated communication media in learning contexts, Communications of the Association for Information Systems, (2010), Vol.27, No. 1, pp.339-378, DOI: 10.17705/1CAIS.02720
[15] Y. L. Kim, The mediating effect of ego-resilience on the relation between parental attitude perceived by adolescence and self-regulated learning ability, The Journal of the Korea Contents Association, (2018), Vol.18, No.10, pp.596-607, DOI: 10.5392/JKCA.2018.18.10.596
[16] M. Y. Cho, M. O. Chae, Impact of self-directed learning ability and metacognition on clinical competence among nursing students, The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education, (2014), Vol.20, No.4, pp.513-522, DOI: 10.5977/jkasne.2014.20.4.514
[17] W. Burleson, Affective learning companions: Strategies for empathetic agents with real-time multimodal affective sensing to foster meta-cognitive and meta-affective approaches to learning, motivation, and perseverance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Doctoral Dissertation, (2006), pp.2-158.
[18] B. Crossouard, Reforms to higher education assessment reporting: opportunities and challenges, Teaching in Higher Education, (2010), Vol.15, No.3, pp.247-258, DOI: 10.1080/13562511003740809
[19] M. L. Antheunis, P. M. Valkenburg, J. Peter, Computer-mediated communication and interpersonal attraction: An experimental test of two explanatory hypotheses, CyberPsychology & Behavior, (2007), Vol.10, No.6, pp.831-836, DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2007.9945
[20] S. Park, S. Lee, M. Choi, A study on effects of well-structured cognitive reflection journal on metacognition and learning achievement, Journal of Engineering Education Research, (2008), Vol.11, No.1, pp.5-14, DOI: 10.18108/jeer.2008.11.1.5
[21] R. A. Sperling, B. C. Howard, L. A. Miller, C. Murphy, Measures of children’s knowledge and regulation of cognition, Contemporary Educational Psychology, (2002), Vol.27, No.1, pp.51-79, DOI: 10.1006/ceps.2001.1091
[22] S. H. Kim, Delphi study on the concept and the teaching and learning methods of meta-affect in mathematics, The Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics, (2019), Vol.29, No.2, pp.321-338, DOI: 10.29275/jerm. 2019.5.29.2.321
[23] V. A. DeBellios, G. A. Goldin, Affect and meta-affect in mathematical problem solving: A representational perspective, Educational Studies in Mathematics, (2006), Vol.63, No.2, pp.131-147, DOI: 10.1007/s10649-006-9026-4
[24] A. C. Graesser, S. D'Mello, N. Person, Meta-knowledge in tutoring, Handbook of Metacognition in Education, Taylor & Francis Group, (2009)
[25] K. Lund, Human support in CSCL: What we know about CSCL, Springer, (2004)
[26] J. Hong, A study on non-verbal communication through self-representation and symbol characteristics: Focus on SNS emoticons, Korean Journal of Communication Studies, (2016), Vol.24, No.3, pp.5-31, UCI: G704-001501. 2016.24.3.002
[27] E. J. Lee, Twitter as computer-mediated communication: Issues and future directions, Journal of Communication Research, (2011), Vol.48, No.1, pp.29-58, DOI: 10.22174/jcr.2011.48.1.29
[28] A. F. Hayes, Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach, Guilford publications, (2013)
[29] M. Y. Jo, J. W. Park, A study on the effect of a cooperative learning program using a social network service in education during the COVID-19 pandemic, Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange, (2021), Vol.7, No.6, (2021), pp.47-62, DOI: 10.47116/apjcri.2021.06.05
[30] S. Bae, Y. Jee, Y. Park, A study on experience of transition to online lecture due to COVID-19 in nursing students, Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange, (2021), Vol.6, No.12, pp.11-24, DOI: 10.47116/apjcri. 2020.12.02
[31] E. Kim, Interpersonal media choice patterns in a mediated interpersonal communication environment, Seoul National University, Doctoral Dissertation, (2017), pp.1-205.

Citations:

APA:
Cho, S.-J., Lee, D-.H. (2021). The Impact of the Learner’s Meta-ability Changes on Interpersonal Relations with Teachers under COVID-19: A Lens of Computer-mediated Communication. Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange (APJCRI), ISSN: 2508-9080 (Print); 2671-5325 (Online), FuCoS, 7(12), 145-157. doi: 10.47116/apjcri.2021.12.14

MLA:
Cho, Soon-jeong, et al. “The Impact of the Learner’s Meta-ability Changes on Interpersonal Relations with Teachers under COVID-19: A Lens of Computer-mediated Communication.” Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange, ISSN: 2508-9080 (Print); 2671-5325 (Online), FuCoS, vol. 7, no. 12, 2021, pp. 145-157. APJCRI, http://fucos.or.kr/journal/APJCRI/Articles/v7n12/14.html.

IEEE:
[1] S.-J. Cho, D.-H. Lee, “The Impact of the Learner’s Meta-ability Changes on Interpersonal Relations with Teachers under COVID-19: A Lens of Computer-mediated Communication.” Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange (APJCRI), ISSN: 2508-9080 (Print); 2671-5325 (Online), FuCoS, vol. 7, no. 12, pp. 145-157, December 2021.