THE ESSENCES OF INTERACTION IN ONLINE EDUCATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF SIX DOCTORAL STUDENTS

This phenomenological research study examined the experience of interaction in online courses as described by six doctoral education students at accredited universities. A review of the literature revealed that online interaction is considered crucial for effective online learning; however, when it is discussed, there is disagreement regarding the nature and definition of interaction in online education. Because phenomenology allows a researcher to uncover the underlying structures or essences of a phenomenon, it proved to be an appropriate research design to study this topic. The purpose of the study was to understand online interaction from the learners ’ perspective. For data collection, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews of doctoral students and created field notes and journal entries to triangulate data. Phenomenological techniques of epoche, phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation were used to analyze the data. As significant statements were extracted from transcriptions of the interviews, four themes emerged regarding the essences of online interaction—perception of instructor, perception of classmates, assumptions about the role of instructors, and assumption