To Chat or Not To Chat: Text-Based Interruptions From Peers Improve Learner Confidence in an Online Lecture Environment

Technology-driven interactions are becoming commonplace, particularly as online classes, telecommuting, and virtual meetings across distances time zones have all increased in popularity. Platforms such Google Meet, Skype, Webex, Zoom use synchronous audio-visual communication supported by text-based chat, emoticon responses, other supplementary functions. Given this uptick the of video conferencing with dynamic integrated features, it is important to understand how attention cognitive resources may be taxed these environments, what that ultimately do participants’ ability comprehend target content. In current study, we investigated impact topically-relevant student-initiated text chat frequency on comprehension during an lecture. The findings revealed involvement alone does not affect learning itself. Chat activity was found a distraction but fact, facilitator confidence lecture environment when controlling for outside distractions. Overall, suggest relevant content distracting, can helpful reinforcing concepts through supportive examples adjacent modalities.