Compulsory distance education has always sought to be inclusive, providing educational opportunities for K-12 students unable to attend mainstream, face-to-face schools for medical, geographical, or personal reasons. However, how to effectively engage these diverse learners has remained a perpetual challenge, with a need for further investigation into the nature of student engagement with compulsory school distance contexts and how teachers can best support it. This qualitative study used focus groups (n = 2 groups, n = 16 participants) to examine teacher definitions and student engagement strategies within eKindy-12 distance education in Queensland, Australia. Categorical analysis was conducted using a priori codes for definitions, focusing on four previously established engagement types (i.e. behavioural, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement), and in vivo codes for strategies. Teacher definitions focused strongly on behavioural engagement, but most also contained elements of emotional and cognitive engagement; agentic engagement was only occasionally evidenced via practice descriptions. Teachers described engaging students by: building relationships, creating a safe classroom environment through differentiation, using inclusive technological tools to facilitate interaction and monitor progress, making learning fun and relevant, drawing on school-wide pedagogical frameworks and teaching strategies, and encourage self-regulation. Findings suggest distance education teachers face unique challenges around evidencing engagement and supporting student agency.
This article considers the differences between talk radio and chat-based radio as specific genres of radio programming in an attempt to address the very broad use of the term ‘talk/talkback’ radio in radio research. Chat-based programming is a term devised by Tolson in relation to television, but this article argues that the definition as applied to television is relevant to radio, particularly in a contemporary media environment where media boundaries are increasingly blurred. It examines the key concepts that define ‘chat-based’ programming as they apply to radio, which are an orientation to personal topics, the use of humour, and potential for transgression. The format is increasingly popular, particularly on commercial radio. This article investigates three key questions: (1) Is there a difference between chat-based and talk radio programming?; (2) Why does genre matter in radio studies?; and (3) What are the implications for defining an alternative genre of talk? It argues that talk radio and chat-based radio are distinct formats, but that chat-based programming can and does incorporate issue-based ‘segments’ to engage listeners. In arguing for the distinction, this article lays some foundations and raises questions for consideration in future analyses of radio talk.
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