scholarly journals Analyzing Temporal Patterns of Groups and Individuals in an Online Learning Forum

Author(s):  
Mengmeng Cheng ◽  
ChienYuan Su ◽  
Jianping Zhang ◽  
Yuhui Yang

Time plays a fundamental role to benefit and challenge the online discussion. It allows considering the temporal aspect both for analyzing of how learning takes places through online discussion, and for designing effective structures to support discussion activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the temporal patterns of group and individuals participation in the discussion forum. Data were collected from the logs and the postings of college students. This study firstly investigated the temporal patterns of group participation in the discussion forum, and then analyzed how promptness and initiative of individuals in online discussion related with their grades at the end of the semester. Results revealed that students posted mainly in the first 23 days and among deadline. Students preferred discussing with others around the course content after they learned something related as soon as possible. They were willing to post in the morning and evening. There was strong relationship between students’ promptness and initiative of the online discussion and their grades. Reasons for these results were discussed.

Author(s):  
Dip Nandi ◽  
Margaret Hamilton ◽  
Shanton Chang ◽  
Sandrine Balbo

<span>Online discussion forums have become an essential part of university courses, whether the course is conducted online, or face to face, or in mixed or blended mode. Discussion forums are considered to engage students better with the course content and encourage them to share and gain knowledge from each other. However, online engagement does not always happen automatically between students. Hence grading of discussion forum participation has been recommended to ensure quality student participation. Currently, a major focus has been put onto the better use of discussion forums, but the way in which the quality of participation can be evaluated has yet to be adequately investigated. Furthermore, evaluation of the instructor participation in a discussion forum and its impact on students and their contributions is lacking. In this paper, we report on our research into online discussion forum quality through analysis of discussion forum activities, along with student focus group meetings and instructor interviews. We have devised a set of criteria for evaluating discussion forum activities. Our results show that students depend highly on the instructor's feedback and the participation of the students can only be evaluated with reference to the moderation of the instructors.</span>


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy M. Hamm ◽  
Raymond P. Perry ◽  
Judith G. Chipperfield ◽  
Patti C. Parker ◽  
Jutta Heckhausen

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Rifino ◽  
Kushya Sugarman

Purpose Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including contact restrictions and the switch to virtual classes, loneliness has become a pressing concern for college students and their learning. This study aims to interrogate current discussions about college student loneliness through the lens of Black feminist love-politics to reimagine online pedagogical practices. Design/methodology/approach Using a broad literature base and anecdotes from personal teaching experiences, the authors contend that Black Feminist perspectives on love, care and solidarity can illuminate the sociopolitical dimensions of loneliness in pedagogically productive ways. Findings The authors explore various pedagogical practices that are inspired by Black feminist approaches that aim to promote solidarity, love and care in either virtual or in-person classrooms. These pedagogical suggestions result from the authors’ teaching experiences amid online learning and current literature in education. Practical implications The authors seek to support educators’ understanding of the most pervasive yet misunderstood emotional experiences of student learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores strategies for addressing feelings of loneliness within online learning-related contexts in higher education. This discussion will be particularly relevant for educators and students from historically marginalized populations. Originality/value This work focuses on the plight of community college students, a demographic that has not garnered enough attention in the educational research concerning this pandemic. In addition, this paper offers an account of loneliness that aligns with the political and ideological crisis of today and places it in conversation with Black feminist thought.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Nam-Hyun Um ◽  
Ahnlee Jang

We delved into the antecedents and consequences of college students' satisfaction with online learning. We proposed the antecedents would be interactions, teaching presence, self-management of learning, and academic self-efficacy, and that the consequence would be intention to continue to use online learning. Participants were 236 college students in South Korea who completed an online survey. Our findings suggest that students' satisfaction with online learning was positively related to the interactions between students and instructor, teaching presence, self-management of learning, and academic self-efficacy. We also found that student satisfaction with online learning positively predicted their intention to continue to use online learning. Thus, our findings in this study provide educators with ways to increase student satisfaction, and add to knowledge about the relationship between students' satisfaction and their intention to take online courses.


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