Virtual classrooms in distance education: an examination of virtual classroom experiences

Abstract

"This study examines the virtual classroom experiences of graduate students. Virtual classroom applications related to the course “applications of scientific research” taught at a state university were treated as a case study. Virtual classroom recordings, defined using the university’s learning management system, were used as research data. The study data consisted of virtual classroom recordings created throughout the academic term, shared documents, students’ synchronous participation statuses in classes, completion statuses of virtual class activities, watching statuses of live lessons, preparation statuses for shared documents, and instant messaging during synchronous virtual classroom experiences. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The virtual classrooms encompass 45 students, including 30 females and 15 males, who took the course ‘Scientific Research Practices’ at a state university during the 2020–2021 academic year at the postgraduate level. The results show that effective and well-managed virtual classrooms enabled students to participate simultaneously. Virtual classrooms facilitated the development of a sense of community among students, and these students adhered to the norms typically observed in a physical classroom. Conducting an effective educational process in virtual classrooms is closely linked to the instructor’s skills. Furthermore, the technical issues encountered did not significantly impact the educational process negatively."