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 Collaboration through Online Discussion Board: A Discourse Analysis of CALL in a Normal University in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
First Year ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Online Discussion Board ◽  
Normal University

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, all students take courses online in Mainland China at the beginning of the semester. The discourse for communication online is important for a successful course. In this study, the online discussion board assignment of a college graduate course was analyzed for the discourse patterns based on Vygotsky’s Cultural-historical theories that are more pragmatic than linguistics (Wertsch, 1990) and miss communication between students (Forman & McCormick, 1995). The course was taught and communicated in all-English. Participants are first-year graduate students in one Normal University in Northern Jiangsu Province in China. Data were generated based on a discourse analysis qualitative research and analyzed using the histogram and qualitative discourse pattern analysis. Findings for the histogram showed a late assignment submission, while more than half of students submitted during the final three days while having 11 days to finish. Patterns of responding were discussed in "questions with most responses" and "questions with no response." The open-ended questions allow respondents to utilize knowledge previously acquired as mediation for further discussions, while close-ended questions received a pattern of the contribution of degrading. Questions with no responses were mostly posted during the final two days. The discourse pattern of online discussion boards, thus manifested itself as a mediation tool for idea exchange not only online for peer evaluation but also self-evaluation.

Developing Asynchronous Online Discussion Boards to Increase Student Engagement and Learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 134-151
Author(s):  
Marla J. Lohmann ◽  
Kathleen A. Boothe
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Online Faculty ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Quality Instruction ◽  
Online Discussion Board ◽  
Asynchronous Online Discussion

The asynchronous online discussion board is a vital means of engaging learners and providing high quality instruction for students. In the past, these discussion boards have been primarily text-based, but online faculty are increasingly implementing discussion formats to increase student engagement and learning. Evidence-based online discussions include (1) both whole-class and small group discussions, (2) debates, (3) sharing products, (4) video-based discussions, (5) word cloud-based discussions, (6) jigsaw discussions, and (7) student choice in response format. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of the literature regarding asynchronous discussions, as well as personal experience and recommendations based on their combined eight years of online instruction.

scholarly journals A good sine? Seeking math help using crowdsourced online discussion boards

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-93
Author(s):  
Ann Y Kim ◽  
Ian Thacker
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Online Discussion Board ◽  
Asynchronous Online Discussion ◽  
One Year ◽  
Khan Academy

We examined asynchronous online discussion boards, specifically those that are unmediated by teacher figures, to identify characteristics of these spaces that support or constrain students as they seek help in mathematics. We analyzed 86 questions and 114 associated responses posted to two Khan Academy discussion boards centered around two related trigonometry lessons. The platform created a space where students could ask a variety of questions ranging from those requesting math definitions and explanations of math procedures to justifications for why formulas are true. However, crowdsourced replies to questions were delayed, sometimes taking more than one year for a reply to be posted; content of student replies did not always match the content of the questions posed; and the quality of the replies varied considerably, some replies were helpful or resourceful while others were incorrect or vague. These challenges seemed connected to the unmediated nature of this type of asynchronous online discussion board. We argue that this online learning environment demands additional self-regulated learning strategies such as awareness of one’s needs and the timeframe in which they must be met. We also discuss implications for research and practice.

scholarly journals Exploring the Roles and Facilitation Strategies of Online Peer Moderators

2019 ◽  
pp. 379-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qunyan Maggie Zhong ◽  
Howard Norton
Keyword(s):  
Online Discussion ◽  
Student Leaders ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Collective Inquiry ◽  
Online Discussion Forum ◽  
Online Discussion Board ◽  
Peer Facilitation

Whilst peer facilitation is deemed to be a beneficial alterative strategy in an asynchronous online discussion, a review of the literature indicates that previous studies have primarily focused on the instructor as the facilitator. Inquiries into the roles that student facilitators perform and strategies they deploy to promote meaningful dialogues and participation in a student-led online discussion board have not been widely explored. Using posted messages of seven student facilitators in a peer-moderated online discussion forum, this study aimed to address the gap in the literature. Content analysis of the data revealed that the student moderators played four major roles during the discussions: 1) a knowledge constructor who actively engaged in a collective inquiry and contributed to a deeper understanding of a subject matter; 2) a team builder who expended considerable efforts to create group cohesion to achieve their learning objectives as a team; 3) a motivator who encouraged and inspired team members to engage in and contribute to the discussion; 4) an organiser who managed and monitored each phase of the discussion and orchestrated the subsequent group oral presentation. The findings suggest that assigning students to lead online discussions is an effective strategy to foster learner autonomy and nurture student leaders. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications and directions for future research.

Best Practices for Engaging Graduate Students in Problem-Based Learning

2019 ◽  
pp. 21-48
Author(s):  
Marcella Jeanne Kehus
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Discourse Community ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Online Discussion Board ◽  
The One

In this chapter, the author discusses two graduate online courses and the use of the online discussion boards specifically as they were used for problem-based learning. In the first course, the instructor scaffolded the learning more closely by providing a specific case to be solved by students and by providing specific instructions. In the second course, students were in the field tutoring and were to use the online discussion board as a place to bring their problems or issues to be problem-solved by the group. In this second context, graduate students became a discourse community developed their own ways of solving problems, working sometimes as more knowledgeable others and sometimes as the one seeking assistance, and generally encouraged each other. The instructor, after providing instruction and modeling during the first course, had little role during the second course besides providing resources, monitoring, and providing occasional corrections.

Further Evidence for Using Online Discussion Boards in the Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-163
Author(s):  
Mercedes Sheen ◽  
Hajar Aman Key Yekani ◽  
Timothy R. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Exam Scores

Recent research compared the use of case studies to online discussion boards to teach about anxiety disorders. The current study extends this research to mood disorders, reports pretest and posttest scores on four learning outcomes, and compares midterm exam scores from Fall 2016 and Fall 2017 when case studies and online discussion boards were used as supplementary learning material, respectively. The results indicate students in the discussion board condition (DBC) rated their learning outcomes significantly higher than students in the case study condition, and midterm exam scores were significantly higher for students who took part in the DBC as a learning exercise. These findings provide evidence that the usefulness of online discussion boards extends to other types of disorders and may even surpass the use of traditional case studies as a pedagogical tool when teaching about psychological disorders.

scholarly journals Pundits, Ideologues, and the Ranters: The British Columbia Election Online

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold J. Jansen ◽  
Royce Koop
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Etude De Cas ◽  
Internet Discussion ◽  
Étude De Cas ◽  
Political Deliberation

Abstract: This article examines the potential for Internet discussion boards to be a vehicle for political deliberation through a case study of the BC Votes discussion board during British Columbia’s 2001 provincial election. Research reveals that the board was dominated by a relatively small number of users and that the favourite discussion topics were not issues but how parties and leaders were performing. The authors conclude that the perception of ideological homogeneity in online discussion may be overstated and that the first post in a discussion thread has an important agenda-setting function. They also find that the relative newness of discussion boards may play a role in shaping the nature of discussion there. Résumé : Afin d’examiner le potentiel des babillards électroniques comme véhicules de débats politiques, cet article offre une étude de cas sur le babillard BC Votes lors des élections provinciales en Colombie-Britannique en 2001. Les auteurs démontrent que relativement peu d’usagers dominaient le babillard et que les sujets préférés de discussion ne touchaient pas aux enjeux de la campagne électorale, mais plutôt à la performance des parties politiques et de leurs leaders. Les auteurs concluent que l’homogénéité idéologique des babillards électroniques n’est peut-être qu’une perception exagérée et que souvent le ton polémique du débat est dicté par le premier message dans un fil de discussion. Les auteurs concluent aussi que le caractère relativement nouveau des babillards reflète sur la spécificité de la discussion qui s’y déroule.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Using Online Discussion Forum for Case Study Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Seethamraju
Keyword(s):  
Online Discussion ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Accounting Students ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Online Discussion Forum ◽  
Online Discussion Board

Business schools are exploring new pedagogical approaches to learning in order to deal with challenges such as increased class sizes, limited funding support, and difficulties in facilitating and encouraging active participation and learning among a diverse cohort of students. This paper reports on a study of the effectiveness of a pedagogical approach that blends online discussion board and case study. Analysing quantity and quality of online postings and comparing accounting students’ performance with previous cohort, this study observes a significant improvement in student learning. Appropriate design and delivery strategies and clear assessment criteria for assessment and use have provided an effective learning vehicle for students, helped them overcome their own language related barriers, and encouraged them to participate in a nonthreatening environment. This approach further complemented the benefits of peer-to-peer learning and case study pedagogy. Reported increase in workload for students and marking load for academics and measuring the value of learning, however, are some of the challenges that need further attention by researchers.

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