Social interaction, learning styles, and training outcomes: Differences between distance learning and traditional training.

摘要

While organizations are rapidly implementing distance learning (DL) as a means of training employees, research on psychological differences between traditional classroom (TC) and DL training has been largely ignored. One major difference between DL and TC training is the separation of students from instructors. The current study examined the effect of social interaction (SI) and learning styles on satisfaction and performance in DL (videoteletraining) and TC training. The results show an overall pattern in which SI had a significant positive effect on course satisfaction, but not on course performance. Furthermore, learning style preferences for learning by one's self moderated the relationship between SI and satisfaction such that the relationship became more positive for those who disliked learning alone. The results may have implications for design, development and technological choices that optimize training outcomes in DL environments.