Paralinguistic Discussion in an Online Educational Setting: A Preliminary Study

One of the perceived drawbacks of e-learning is the absence of non-verbal communication. This leads one to conclude that e-learning in general, and fully online education in particular, is inferior to its on-campus counterpart in terms of its communicative capability. This paper challenges this viewpoint, arguing that not only is non-verbal communication ‘alive and well’ in an online educational setting, it is becoming more robust as the various information and communication technologies (ICTs) in common usage act to redefine nonverbal forms of communication. Reporting on a preliminary study conducted within a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme at a completely online business school, the authors outline the importance of incorporating the opportunity for non-verbal communication in the learning environment, particularly in an international or cross-cultural setting. Then, focusing on the use of ‘emoticons’ in a longitudinal study of Organisational Behaviour classes, they analyse the frequency of use of specific categories of emoticons, and their significance for effective cross-cultural communication. The paper concludes that emoticons facilitate a depth and range of non-verbal communication at least equal to that in the non-virtual world, enhancing the quality of interaction and minimising the potential for friction and misunderstanding between learners. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IN AN ONLINE SETTING Early work in the area of computer-mediated communication (CMC) based on Social Presence Theory views interpersonal relationships as being strongly ‘taskoriented’ [1]. Commentators following in this tradition have argued that non-verbal communication in the absence of face-to-face interaction is severely restricted and that, using an online platform, ‘any form of non-verbal communication, like gestures or facial expressions, cannot be perceived by the other group member’ [2]. Others maintain that CMC ‘differs from face-to-face communication in striking, interpersonally related ways’ [3] in that ‘relationally-rich nonverbal cues are absent’ [4]. If these commentators are correct, then given research suggests that between 70-90 per cent of messages transmitted in interpersonal communication are nonverbal in nature 1 Karin Sixl-Daniell is Assistant Professor and Manager, Student Affairs at Universitas 21 Global. 2 Jeremy B. Williams is Associate Professor in eLearning, and Director, Pedagogy and Assessment at Universitas 21 Global. He is also Adjunct Professor in Economics at Brisbane Graduate School of Business.