The importance of participant interaction in online environments

An emerging body of research suggests that participant interaction is one of the strongest predictors of success in online environments. However, studies about the effects of participant interaction in a large sample of multiple online environments are rather limited. Using hierarchical modeling techniques, we examine a sample of 40 online MBA courses to determine whether learner–instructor, learner–learner, or learner–system interaction is most significantly related to online course outcomes. Our findings suggest that while collaborative environments were associated with higher levels of learner–learner and learner–system interaction, only learner–instructor and learner–system interaction were significantly associated with increased perceived learning.