Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2015 | Page 116

Internet Learning Journal – Volume 4, Issue 1 – Spring 2015
Table 3 Most Prominent Immediacy Terms
Immediacy term
Highest occurrence
in one book
Importance of broad or
minor term
Interaction 59 n Low broad
Time 58 Minor
Collaboration 38 Low broad
Emotions 15 High broad
Engagement 14 Low broad
Feelings 9 High broad
Immediacy 8 High broad
Relationships 7 Medium broad
Speedy/rapidly 7 Minor
Thoughts 5 High broad
Togetherness 5 Medium broad
Quick 4 Minor
Fast 4
Minor
The fourth research question appeared as follows: How prominent is teacher
immediacy terminology in chapter titles? The study involved comparing the term’s usage
from the earlier to the more recent textbook set.
While not all of the first four chapter headings/subheadings included immediacy or
collaboration terms in the broad and minor immediacy terminology scale, some textbooks
included discussions of collaboration techniques under chapter headings not related to
student interaction online. See Appendix I for actual chapter titles and sub-titles. The results
indicated that the broad immediacy term, thoughts, appeared once in one of the textbook
chapter titles in the 2003 to 2007 set. The left-hand column of Table 4 reflects the
terminology examined from the highest importance, immediacy, to the lowest or minorimportance
terminology related to timely responses.
The second most frequent terms found in the chapter titles were interaction at two
counts, engagement at three counts, and collaboration at nine counts (see Table 4). All of
these terms reflect low-broad importance. Results indicated that the textbook titles and
subheadings did not include a substantive number of immediacy terms contained in the
terminology scale. Moreover, no commonality of similar immediacy terms in chapter title
headings existed.
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