Abstract

This study investigates how the combination of instructor modeling and question prompts for peer-questioning influences students' online questioning and answering activities. Fourteen students in a turfgrass management online class at a large land-grant university participated in two three-week sessions of online discussion. Two randomly selected small groups ( n = 6) received question prompts and instructor modeling while the other two discussion groups ( n = 8) did not. Their online interactions (frequency, length, and type of questions) and selected follow-up telephone interviews were analyzed. The results of the descriptive statistics of students' online activities and the interview reveal that the instructor's participation in online discussion played a critical role in modeling students' questioning activities and in facilitating students' continuous use of the given online peer questioning guidance. Thus, the combination of instructor modeling and question prompts is more effective than providing either strategy alone. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of distributed scaffolding.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.