scholarly journals Using the Photovoice Method to Elicit Authentic Learning in Online Discussions

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Beatriz M Reyes-Foster ◽  
Aimee DeNoyelles
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Course Content ◽  
College Classrooms ◽  
Points Of View

While online discussions remain popular in college classrooms, mixed results persist about their effectiveness in eliciting authentic learning. This case study explores how students perceive the influence of the Photovoice method on their authentic learning, critical thinking, engagement, and peer interaction in an asynchronous online discussion. Photovoice is a research method combining photography with social action, in which people express their points of view by photographing scenes that highlight certain themes. Students in an online undergraduate course engaged in an online discussion which asked them to connect personal images to the course content. Students reported that this strategy supported authentic learning, critical thinking, engagement, and interaction; in addition, a correlational analysis found that these factors are highly interrelated. This case study proposes recommendations for practitioners interested in using a similar approach.

scholarly journals Using the Photovoice Method to Elicit Authentic Learning in Online Discussions

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Beatriz M Reyes-Foster ◽  
Aimee DeNoyelles
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Course Content ◽  
College Classrooms ◽  
Points Of View

While online discussions remain popular in college classrooms, mixed results persist about their effectiveness in eliciting authentic learning. This case study explores how students perceive the influence of the Photovoice method on their authentic learning, critical thinking, engagement, and peer interaction in an asynchronous online discussion. Photovoice is a research method combining photography with social action, in which people express their points of view by photographing scenes that highlight certain themes. Students in an online undergraduate course engaged in an online discussion which asked them to connect personal images to the course content. Students reported that this strategy supported authentic learning, critical thinking, engagement, and interaction; in addition, a correlational analysis found that these factors are highly interrelated. This case study proposes recommendations for practitioners interested in using a similar approach.

CASE STUDY OF ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD USE IN AN ENGINEERING EDUCATION GRADUATE COURSE

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Davidson ◽  
Lisa Romkey ◽  
Allison Van Beek
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Asynchronous Learning ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Online Discussion Board

Due to the increasing prevalence of asynchronous learning platforms, the development and implementation of online discussion boards have become important considerations in the design of post-secondary learning environments. This research is conducted as a case study of the online discussion board use in a small engineering education graduate course, consisting of in-class and online discussion components. By varying the structure of the online discussion board to allow different types of student interaction, the study identifies trends in discussion board use, specifically pertaining to student participation, student collaboration, and the integration between in-class and online discussions. As a result, the study provides insight into the utility and limitations of online discussion boards in post-secondary courses.  

scholarly journals A Study of Anecdotal Student Response to Virtual Art Museums in Online History Courses

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Attwood
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Community College ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Art Museum ◽  
Art Museums ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Course Content

This anecdotal pilot case study of practice addresses the question: How can technology be used to make online history courses more engaging with museums? Findings from this case study suggest that virtual art museums via the Google Cultural Institute (now Google Arts & Culture) were an effective way to encourage students to do more than the minimum required for the online forum response assignment in a survey (100-level) history course at a community college in the northwest United States. The instructor designed an assignment that was posted in the learning management system as a PDF. Implications for practice are that online instructors of history, as well as online instructors of humanities, can assign virtual art museum visits with an online discussion component to encourage student engagement centered on course content.

Two Case Studies of Online Discussion Use in Computer Science Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 409-434
Author(s):  
Gokce Akcayir ◽  
Zhaorui Chen ◽  
Carrie Demmans Epp ◽  
Velian Pandeliev ◽  
Cosmin Munteanu
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Asynchronous Discussion ◽  
The Other ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Integration Strategies ◽  
Deep Integration

In this chapter, two cases that include computer science (CS) instructors' integration of an online discussion platform (Piazza) into their courses were examined. More specifically, the instructors' perspectives and role in these cases were explored to gain insight that might enable further improvements. Employing a mixed methods research design, these cases were investigated with text mining and qualitative data analysis techniques with regard to instructors' integration strategies and students' reactions to them. The results of the study showed that among these cases, one entailed a deep integration (Case 1) and the other a shallow one (Case 2). Instructors' presence and guidance through their posting behaviors had a bigger effect than the nature of the course content. Additionally, TA support in online discussions helped address the limitations of the asynchronous discussion when the TAs had the maturity to only respond to questions for which they were adequately prepared.

scholarly journals Enhancing learning through the discussion forum

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nantha Kumar Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Forum ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Online Discussion Forums ◽  
Collaborative Discussion

Asynchronous online discussion forums play an important role in adult online courses, and have many possible functions. Our experience in using the discussion forums in online courses for task-based collaborative discussion has led us to many questions about the optimal ways of using online discussion to support collaborative learning, such as how should instructors structure online discussions in a way that it promotes collaborative learning? What should instructors do to enhance learners' reflective thinking, critical thinking, or problem solving in online collaborative discussions? The challenges of using forum in learning have also been highlighted by many researchers. In this paper, we present a so-called “smart” discussion forum to support, monitor and facilitate task-based collaboration for the learning process of adult learners to advance their development of critical thinking.

scholarly journals Using Best Practices In Online Discussion And Assessment To Enhance Collaborative Learning

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 21-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra L. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Effective Practices ◽  
Online Assessment ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Design Assessment ◽  
Course Content

The primary purpose of this exploratory study is to provide insight on how to use online discussions to foster collaborative learning and how to design assessment processes to evaluate the effectiveness of those discussions. This study focuses on the pedagogical role of discussion, effective practices in discussion, guidelines for creating discussions to enhance learning, and the use of rubrics for assessment and evaluation. This study also provides an overview of the pedagogy of online assessment with an emphasis on mastery learning instructional methods. Effective practices in the use of online assessment and guidelines for aligning learning objectives with the most appropriate assessment tool are also emphasized. This study concludes that using best practices in online discussion and assessment can enhance collaborative learning which results in students having a deeper understanding of course content because of more time on task, increased motivation, more engagement, improved teamwork and interpersonal skills, enhanced critical thinking abilities, improved self-esteem and increased ownership of their own learning.

Writing Bees, Wikis, Problem-Based Learning, and Assessment

2020 ◽  
pp. 202-228
Author(s):  
Lyz Howard
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Online Module ◽  
Pedagogical Design ◽  
Three Phases ◽  
Phases Of Learning

This chapter introduces a case study to explore the pedagogical re-design of an online module using online discussions as the focus for learning. A longitudinal and development module assessment was threaded through three phases of learning: 1) writing bees, 2) WIKI (what I know is), and 3) problem-based learning (PBL). Each phase of learning is explained using evidence to support its development, and a critique of the benefits and limitations of learning this way is included. An evaluation of the re-designed module is included, demonstrating although at times the online discussion and writing activities were challenging that on the whole, students enjoyed learning in this way. This chapter concludes by claiming that the pedagogical design of learning using online discussions should be engaging, interactive, collaborative, and fully supported at every stage of the learners' journey and recommends further research in the theory of communities of practice to inform such pedagogical design.

(Re)Assessing Student Thinking in Online Threaded Discussions

2013 ◽  
pp. 265-280
Author(s):  
Felicia Saffold
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Threaded Discussions ◽  
Online Discussion Forums

A teacher educator examines the level of critical thinking of her preservice teachers participating in an urban education course through online discussions. The objective was to see if online discussions, which were the heart of the learning process, could be an effective strategy to promote critical thinking skills. Using the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) as a guide, participants’ posts and responses were assessed to determine the quality of thinking that occurred in the online discussion forum. Results show that utilizing online discussion forums can be an effective pedagogy for classes where complex, often controversial issues such as social justice, equity, and white privilege are discussed.

scholarly journals Influence of Word Clouds on Critical Thinking in Online Discussions: A Content Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz M Reyes-Foster ◽  
Aimee DeNoyelles
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Word Cloud ◽  
Linear Condition ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Cloud Condition

This article presents an exploratory research study about the influence of word clouds on critical thinking when they are incorporated into online discussions. In an online discussion, students were asked to critically analyze two speeches, being assigned to one of two conditions: one in which the text was linear, and one in which the text was presented in the form of word clouds. Discussions posts were coded in two blended sections of an undergraduate anthropology course to assess the type and frequency of critical thinking demonstrated therein. Students in the word cloud condition exhibited more instances of critical thinking than students in the linear condition, and more often paired articulation of thought with the citing of evidence. The paper concludes with recommendations for other educators interested in implementing a similar approach. 

Creating Authentic Assessments for Online Music Courses

2018 ◽  
pp. 263-285
Author(s):  
Carol Johnson ◽  
Virginia Christy Lamothe
Keyword(s):  
Online Discussion ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Authentic Assessment ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Authentic Assessments ◽  
Online Music ◽  
Music Class ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education

The need for identifying authentic assessments, or learning tasks, in online music courses is becoming integral as the rate of online music course offerings has been exponentially increasing. Supportive research also suggests that instructors teaching in higher education may require a paradigm shift in their pedagogical approach as they develop social-constructivist based authentic assessments for music subjects taught in an online environment. To assist with the understanding of both why and how to generate authentic assessment for a Bachelor's-level online music course, the chapter explores the nature of authentic assessment for music and Koh's Criteria for Authenticity in Authentic Assessment. Finally, to provide a practical exemplar of how online discussions can be used as an authentic learning tool in the online music class, an online discussion task for a songwriting class is identified and examined through the lens of Koh's characteristics.

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