The Effects of Presentation Format for Behavior Modeling of Interpersonal Skills in Online Instruction

The purpose of this study was to identify the most effective model presentation format in behavior modeling to teach interpersonal skills in online learning environments. Four model presentation formats were compared; video, pictures plus audio, audio only, and text-script only. The effects of the model presentation were investigated in terms of learning outcomes, which were measured by learners' reactions; cognitive retention of learning content; and behavioral reproduction. No significant differences between groups were found in any measure of learning outcomes. The implication of the findings is that it is reasonable to use cost-effective model presentation formats to teach interpersonal skills using behavior modeling. Also, three possible moderating variables of the relationship between model presentation formats and learning outcomes are discussed. There is no doubt that interpersonal skills are important to an individual's professional life and the success of organizations. In general, interpersonal skills are emphasized across all fields in current society, not only in service-oriented occupations. Some of the interpersonal skills, such as leadership and communication skills, are required of employees regardless of their jobs. However, according to Industry Report 2002 (Galvin, 2002), interpersonal skills, such as coaching, communication skills, customer service, leadership, and mentoring, are rarely taught online despite its growing popularity. The reason for this might be the difficulty of implementing effective instructional methods for interpersonal skills online. According to Gilmore and Fritsch (2001), while instructor-led courses teaching interpersonal skills use various instructional methods, such as presentation, facilitated discussion, reflection, discussion and laboratory, online courses dominantly use readings and drills. Readings and drills are appropriate instructional methods for self-study in the online learning environment. However, they are not considered to be effective methods of conveying interpersonal skills training because interpersonal skills require the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains to work together (Argyle, 1981). The ineffective instructional methods of teaching interpersonal skills online may lower students' motivation and achievement, hence resulting in online interpersonal skills training's unpopularity. Given the increasing popularity of online learning and the significance of interpersonal skills for every aspect of organizational life, it is imperative to identify effective instructional methods for online interpersonal skills training. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS TRAINING Interpersonal skills, in layman's terms, refer to the skills individuals need when they interact with other people. Also, the meaning of interpersonal skills has a number of synonyms, such as social skills, soft skills, people skills, or communication skills. The distinctions among the terms are not always clear, in many cases they are used interchangeably. Despite the significance of interpersonal skills in our life, research on interpersonal skills training is difficult to find. One explanation for this might be because interpersonal skills are used unconsciously as a part of daily life; people view the interpersonal domain as inborn skills or characteristics, not skills or knowledge to be acquired consciously. Another reason for this might be the overarching characteristics of interpersonal skills, which require the combination of cognitive, psychomotor and affective components simultaneously. Many researchers explain that interpersonal skills have complicated characteristics. Marlowe's (1986) social intelligence model shows multidimensional characteristics as consisting of: care for others, social self-efficacy, and the ability to understand others. …