Integrative Literature Review of Interactions in Online Courses

This chapter reports findings of an integrative literature review examining the state of knowledge of interaction in online courses, specifically how interaction is conceptualized and how its conceptualization is reflected in design approaches of interaction in online courses. The literature review used Tarraco’s (Human Resource Development Review 15:404–428, 2016) guidelines for conducting an integrative literature review. The following research questions guided the integrative literature review: (1) How is interaction conceptualized in the Instructional Design Technology (IDT) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) disciplines? (2) How is the conceptualization of interaction manifested in design approaches of interaction in IDT and HCI literature? The findings of the literature review revealed that interaction is mainly conceptualized as human-level interaction in IDT literature, and human-technology interactions, specifically learner-computer and learner-system interactions, are minimally represented. In HCI literature, interaction is often conceptualized as communication that occurs between people/users and an artifact, and such communication goes beyond just mere interaction of people with interfaces. The conceptualization of interaction is manifested in a variety of design approaches, from prescriptive methods to flexible, iterative design processes. The literature review also highlights implications for research and practice.