Support services and learning styles influencing interaction in asynchronous online discussions

This paper reports a case of online classes from the English Language Teaching Programme at Anadolu University, Turkey. The study used an explanatory case oriented research design that assisted to examine relations between students’ learning styles and factors influencing students’ participation in asynchronous interactions in online courses. The study was carried out during the 2006–2007 academic year with a sample of 139 junior and senior students. The converger learners were more involved in discussion boards compared to other learning style groups. The most popular support service was found to be pedagogical and social guidance for all types of learning styles while the least preferred support services were the administrative and technical.

Unterstützungsdienste und Lernstiele zur Beeinflussung von asynchronen Online‐Diskussionen

In diesem Papier wird vom English Language Teaching Program der Anadolu Universität in der Türkei berichtet. Die Studie nutzte ein Erläuterungsprogramm, das zur Unterstützung von Beziehungen zwischen dem Lernverhalten und Faktoren, die die Teilnahme von Studenten an asynchronen Interaktionen in Online‐Kursen beeinflussen. Die Studie wurde 2006 und 2007 von einer Gruppe von 139 Junior‐ und Senior‐Studenten durchgeführt. Die “Converger” ‐Lerner waren im Vergleich zu anderen Gruppen. stärker in Diskussionsgruppen engagiert. Als der populärste Unterstützungsservice wurde der sowohl pädagogisch als auch sozial führende für alle Typen von Lernstielen empfunden, während die mit administrativ und technischem Schwerpunkt am Ende der Beliebtheitsskala rangierten.

Les services d’assistance et les styles d’apprentissage influencent l’interaction dans les discussions asynchrones en ligne

Cet article étudie le cas de cours en ligne du Programme d’Enseignement de la Langue Anglaise à l’Université Anadolu en Turquie. Dans cette étude on a utilisé un plan de recherche orienté vers l’examen de cas qui a aidé à examiner les relations entre les styles d’apprentissage des étudiants et les facteurs qui influencent leur participation aux interactions asynchrones dans les cours en ligne. Cette étude a été conduite pendant l’année universitaire 2006–2007 avec un échantillonnage de 139 étudiants de 3^e et de 4^e année. Les apprenants convergents participaient davantage aux groupes de discussion si on les compare aux groupes possédant d’autres styles d’apprentissage. Il ressort que le service d’appui le plus populaire était l’orientation pédagogique et sociale, ceci pour tous les types de style d’apprentissage alors que les services d’appui les moins populaires étaient d’ordre administratif et technique.

La influencia de los servicios de apoyo y de los estilos de aprendizaje sobre las interacciones en las discusiones asincrónicas en línea

Este artículo informa sobre el caso de cursos en línea dentro del Programa de Enseñanza de la Lengua Inglesa en la Universidad Anadolu de Turquía. En el presente estudio se utilizó un diseño explicativo de investigación orientado hacia los estudios de casos para facilitar la revisión de de las relaciones entre los estilos de aprendizaje de los alumnos y los factores que influyen sobre la participación de los alumnos en interacciones asincrónicas dentro de los cursos en línea. El estudio fuez llevado a cabo durante el año académico 2006–2007 con una muestra de 139 estudiantes de 3° y 4° año. Los discentes convergentes estaban más involucrados en los paneles de discusión en comparación con grupos con otros estilos de aprendizaje. Se notó que el servicio de apoyo más popular era la orientación pedagógica y socialesto para todos los tipos de estilos de aprendizaje mientras los servicios de apoyo menos preferidos eran administrativos y técnicos.     

Rubrics for designing and evaluating online asynchronous discussions

The purpose of the study reported on in this paper was to identify performance criteria and ratings in rubrics designed for the evaluation of learning in online asynchronous discussions (OADs) in post-secondary contexts. We analysed rubrics collected from Internet sources. Using purposive sampling, we reached saturation with the selection of 50 rubrics. Using keyword analysis and subsequent grouping of keywords into categories, we identified 153 performance criteria in 19 categories and 831 ratings in 40 categories. We subsequently identified four core categories as follows: cognitive (44.0%), mechanical (19.0%), procedural/managerial (18.29%) and interactive (17.17%). Another 1.52% of ratings and performance criteria were labelled vague and not assigned to any core category.     

Analysing peer feedback in asynchronous online discussions: A case study

Education and Information Technologies - Peer feedback is referred to as comments provided by one student to another with the intention to aid their peers’ progress in learning. The responses...     

Reconceptualising moderation in asynchronous online discussions using grounded theory

This article reports a grounded theory study of the moderation of asynchronous online discussions, to explore the processes by which tutors in higher education decide when and how to moderate. It aims to construct a theory of e‐moderation based on some key factors which appear to influence e‐moderation. It discusses previous research on the definition and practice of e‐moderation, and then describes the study, which involved four e‐moderators working in two different university contexts. Key themes on e‐moderation, which emerged using a grounded theory approach, are discussed. It proposes a framework for e‐moderation and suggests that as a facilitative activity, it should be sufficiently contained within a ring‐fenced learning arena. Factors outside and inside the ring‐fence that appear to influence e‐moderation and their implications for future theory development and validation are discussed.     

Fostering online learning at the workplace: A scheme to identify and analyse collaboration processes in asynchronous discussions

Research has shown that providing participants with high-quality learning material is not sufficient to help them profit most from online education. The level of interaction among participants is another key determinant for learning outcomes. However, merely proposing interaction does not automatically lead to fruitful discussion and collaboration. Specifically, social presence and facilitation activities add value to online discussions. In Murphy's collaboration framework, social presence represents the basis of successful online collaboration from which more reflective discussions and co-construction can evolve. In this paper, an adjusted version of this framework was applied in a workplace learning context. The content analysis of 1170 comments in an online course for careers practitioners of a public employment service showed that the extended framework generated deeper insights into the dynamics of online discussions. The results show that involvement in collaborative learning at the workplace was supported by a high social presence and influenced by course topic and tasks. Facilitation played an important role in creating a sympathetic sense of community and stimulating co-creation processes.     

Interaction and cognitive engagement: An analysis of four asynchronous online discussions

Online discussion plays a unique role in face-to-face and distance teaching and learning. Interaction and student cognitive engagement during the online discussion are critical for constructing new understanding and knowledge. This article analyzes types of interaction that occur during online discussions, examines levels of student cognitive engagement in each discussion, and explores their effects on and implications for learning and teaching in higher education. By combining methods of social network analysis with qualitative content analysis, the article explores new methodologies for analyzing participation, interaction, and learning that take place online, and suggests areas for research in learning and teaching online.     

Identifying patterns of collaborative knowledge exploration in online asynchronous discussions

This study investigated 6 weeks of online asynchronous discussions in a graduate-level course involving eleven students. The research purposes of this study were to identify patterns of collaborative knowledge exploration (CKE) and to suggest new analytical dimensions for investigating online discussions. Based upon a unique theoretical framework integrating the concepts of transition community and discourse community, three major dimensions of online asynchronous learning were adopted in the analysis. The first dimension focuses on the various forms of social negotiation in the discourse. The second dimension regards references to various learning resources, while the third is related to the coherence of the resources utilized. Based upon these dimensions and the analysis of the participating students’ online asynchronous discussions, this study suggested ten different patterns of CKE representing the cognitive processes of Elaborating, Challenging, Correcting, and Debating. We argue that the proposed analytical framework allows us to interpret the sociocultural and cognitive aspects of students’ interactions for online problem-based learning. In addition, the results suggest that the more cognitively demanding the pattern is, the less frequently it occurs. Potential factors contributing to the observed findings are discussed in this study.     

Rethinking online discourse: Improving learning through discussions in the online classroom

As colleges continue to expand online offerings, student participation within courses should be assessed to ensure that teachers can best implement effective, responsible lesson plans. This study examined discourse in an online classroom in order to gauge student participation by observing student-to-student and student-to-instructor exchanges within the discussion board. Classroom discourse was analyzed using Stahl’s computer supported collaborative learning methodology. Data was collected to assess development of classroom dialogue through group collaboration, and to determine whether participants were interpreting previous posts and contributing to the development of the discussion topic. This study shows that students within the online classroom were able to construct deeper meanings in classroom dialogues through thoughtful and personal contributions, thereby reaching new understandings through collaborative discussion. This study contends that through insightful planning and guided responses, instructors can manage online classroom discussions to better direct student communications in order to improve collaborative learning and knowledge construction.     

Supporting problem solving with asynchronous online discussions: a social network analysis

Educational technology research and development - Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are a central component of online courses and have been widely implemented in case-based instruction (CBI)....     

Production blocking in brainstorming arguments in online group debates and asynchronous threaded discussions

Educational technology research and development - Online group debates hosted in asynchronous threaded discussions can facilitate critical thinking between discussants (and increase deeper...     

Solving ill-structured problems in asynchronous online discussions: built-in scaffolds vs. no scaffolds

Solving ill-structured problems is regarded as an important learning outcome in education as it allows learners to apply theories learnt into real practice. An asynchronous online discussion, with extended time for reflection, is an appropriate learning environment to engage learners in solving ill-structured problems. However, scaffolds may be needed to support learners in the online discussions. This study explores the effect of online scaffolds in supporting a group of graduate students' ill-structured problem-solving processes in asynchronous online discussions. The results of this study showed that the use of the online scaffolds did not lead to a significant difference in the number of ill-structured problem-solving processes. Further analysis revealed that wrong selection of message labels and under-usage of sentence openers affected the results of this study. Improvements for online scaffolds include having more precise message labels and sentence openers based on Socratic questioning approach.     

Increasing learner interaction: using Jigsaw online

Although delivered via distance learning technology, distributed learning is substantially different in fundamental ways. Distributed learning could be described as a distance learning environment that supports the co‐construction of knowledge, an endeavour where learners build a learning community where they are given and take on more responsibility, as well as the power to help ‘spread out’ cognitive activities among themselves. This paper provides guidelines for and details of an online collaborative learning activity that takes the perspective of constructing an online learning environment founded upon an active, collaborative, constructivist approach that is supported through the development of a strong sense of community, a distributed learning community.

Pour augmenter l’interaction apprenante: l’usage de Jigsaw en ligne

Bien qu’il soit transmis par les mêmes technologies que l’apprentissage à distance, l’apprentissage distribué est substantiellement différent et ce, d’une façon fondamentale. On pourrait décrire l’apprentissage distribué comme étant un environnement d’apprentissage à distance qui sert de base à la co‐construction des connaissances, une entreprise dans laquelle les apprenants construisent une communauté apprenante dans laquelle on leur donne et où ils prennent davantage de responsabilités ainsi que la capacité d’aider à « étaler » les activités cognitives entre eux. Cet article fournit des lignes directrices et présente en détail une activité d’apprentissage collaboratif en ligne; cette activité se place dans la perspective de la construction d’un environnement d’apprentissage en ligne fondé sur une approche active, collaborative et constructiviste reposant sur le développement d’un fort sentiment communautaire __ce qu’est une communauté d’apprentissage distribué.

Wachsende Lerner Interaktion: Anwendung von Jigsaw online

“Distributiertes Lernen” ist, obwohl dafür dieTechnologie des Fernlernens (Distance Learning) benutzt wird, grundsätzlich beträchtlich anders. Distributiertes Lernen könnte als ein Fernlehrfeld beschrieben werden, das die Co‐Konstruktion von Wissen unterstützt, ein Bestreben, bei dem Lerner eine Lerngemeinschaft aufbauen, bei der ihnen mehr Verantwortung gegeben wird, die sie auch annehmen. Dabei entspringt die Energie zu helfen den kognitiven Aktivitäten zwischen den Lernern selbst. Dieses Papier liefert Leitlinien und beschreibt Einzelheiten einer Online‐kooperativen Lernaktivität, die die Perspektive beinhaltet, eine Online‐Lernumgebung aufbauen zu können, die auf einem aktiven, kooperativen, konstruktivistischen Ansatz gründet, der durch die Entwicklung eines starken Sinnes für Gemeinschaft ‐ einer “distributierten Lerngemeinschaft” eben, unterstützt wird.     

Development of a participation style scale for online instructional discussions

Educational technology research and development - The purpose of this study is to develop a standardized measurement tool that can be used to determine the participation styles of individuals...     

The role of students' motivation in peer‐moderated asynchronous online discussions

This study conducted a content analysis of online discussions to understand the nature of computer‐supported collaborative learning and discover how students' motivation, which is a crucial factor to the success of collaborative learning, relates with their interaction and knowledge construction in peer‐moderated online discussions. Discussion contents from 23 students in an online class were analysed. The results indicated that perceived value, competence and autonomy were critical factors that influenced lower level interactions; intrinsic motivation was the critical factor that influenced the individualistic elaboration interactions, whereas relatedness was the critical factor that influenced the collaborative elaboration interactions. The results also indicated that autonomy and relatedness were the critical factors that influenced the moderation behaviours. The findings suggest that teachers in online classes should promote students' motivation, and more importantly, scaffold student moderators in meaningful learning during peer‐moderated online discussions.     

Experiential learning of management principles via online student-manager discussions

This teaching brief describes an experiential project used in a graduate Principles of Management course for nonbusiness undergraduate students. Groups of four to six first-year MBA students interviewed a seasoned manager online twice over the 8-week course and discussed the applications of course material. Project subtopics included an introduction to management, strategic management, ethics and social responsibility, innovation and change management, international business, organizational structure, authority and job design, human resource management, leadership, and communication, operations management, and business analytics. Students completed a group report and an individual reflection on their experience. Over 92% of graduate students in the class indicated that the project was a positive learning activity.     

Rethinking the nature of online work in asynchronous learning networks

Research on asynchronous learning networks (ALNs) has indicated that there are problems with both the quantity and quality of online interactions that can undermine the aim of inquiry. The goal of this paper is to offer a new way of thinking about these problems in the context of knowledge building, a specific form of collaborative inquiry supported by an ALN. Drawing from interviews with teachers following two teacher education courses that introduced teachers to knowledge building, it is argued that we need to rethink the role and purpose of online work in ALNs—as building a communal learning resource. A framework for doing this is proposed in terms of three notions: collaboration, learning how to learn and idea improvement. The framework is expected to contribute to the literature on knowledge building by providing a new way to distinguish knowledge building from other forms of collaborative inquiry.     

Project-based learning and student knowledge construction during asynchronous online discussion

Project-based learning engages students in problem solving through artefact design. However, previous studies of online project-based learning have focused primarily on the dynamics of online collaboration; students' knowledge construction throughout this process has not been examined thoroughly. This case study analyzed the relationship between students' levels of knowledge construction during asynchronous online discussions with respect to engagement in project-based learning. Graduate students' online postings in a course that comprised both project-based and non-project learning activities were coded and counted for knowledge construction, teaching, and social interaction moves using computer-mediated discourse analysis. Chi-square analyses found that the instructor's teaching discourse remained fairly consistent during project-based and non-project learning. Despite this, students' online discussions during project-based learning were characterized by more advanced levels of knowledge construction, where ideas were rationalized and integrated into plausible solutions. In contrast, students' online postings outside project-based learning rarely moved beyond the lower levels of information sharing and idea exploration. Based on these results, guidelines for designing and facilitating online project-based learning are presented and discussed.