Text-Based versus video discussion boards to promote a sense of community with graduate online students: A student perspective

Abstract

For university administrators creating an engaging online course where students feel part of an online community can be challenging even for the most experienced online educator. Online discussions are a common tool used to connect students in online courses, but it is often limited to text-based posts. This research paper will compare the use of text-based versus video-based discussions in online courses to ascertain students’ perceptions of social presence in the course room. This paper will discuss which method of discussion would be an appropriate exchange for a live classroom discussion, this is not always the case online. Research has demonstrated that text-based discussions often do not promote genuine communication and an alternative to text-based discussion forums is video-based discussion. The strategy of text-based discussion is employable in most popular learning management systems such as Canvas or Blackboard or with a variety of other tools such as YouTube or Voice thread to accommodate the use of video discussion in online courses. Researchers have been keenly exploring the implications of these two formats on engagement, comprehension, and overall effectiveness. This study delved into the key findings from community experiences by online students comparing and contrasting text-based and video-based discussions, examining their impact, and shedding light on their relative advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this research paper was to compare the sense of community experienced by online students taking part in text-based versus video-based discussions. The implications of this study indicated that most of the students reported that they preferred text-based discussions; however, the students in this study felt video-based discussion boards promoted the ability to form connections with their learning community.