Asynchronous Discussion Board Research Articles

Low-Level Students’ Perspectives Toward Synchronous and Asynchronous Blended Learning Activities in the Post-Pandemic Era

Entering the post-pandemic era, educators at universities across South Korea dealt with many restrictions and challenges transitioning back to face-to-face courses. To overcome these difficulties, some instructors used their experiences during emergency remote teaching to incorporate more blended learning activities. This study aimed to gain insight into low-level students’ perspectives toward participating in online synchronous and online asynchronous activities during an in-person EFL course in the first semester of 2022. A total of 83 students participated in this study by completing a series of surveys composed of a mix of Likert-scale and semi-structured qualitative questions. Data analysis combined descriptive statistical analysis with qualitative analysis based on the creation of themes and categories. Key findings are as follows: first, learners enjoyed both types of blended learning activities but preferred asynchronous discussion boards; second, low-level learners believe synchronous activities can help improve their listening skills, while asynchronous activities provide valuable chances to read and write; third, low-level students will accept an activity if they perceive it has value, and these learners have their own opinions of how to make the activities better. Specific comments and examples related to student perspectives and suggestions for the future use of blended learning activities are discussed.

An Evaluation of Asynchronous Online Discussion Board Formats in Interteaching

An Evaluation of Asynchronous Online Discussion Board Formats in Interteaching

“How are you getting on?”

This research evaluates the use of asynchronous online discussion boards in assessment of work-based placement in a social care degree programme. Owing to a scarcity of educational technologies in the programme at the time (pre-COVID), discussion boards were introduced in a pilot endeavour to assess students' reflections on placement experiences. Individualised feedback was pledged from the programme instructors with a view to enhancing their reflective skills and their engagement with their work placement.
 Staff and learners’ attitudes and experiences were investigated to identify the effectiveness of using discussion boards for work-based placement. The components of discussion boards for this purpose are identified, and the considerations to be made when implementing discussion boards to support the development of reflection skills are presented.
 Using a mixed methods sequential complementarity research design, two student focus groups were held following the distribution of an online survey. Four staff instructors were interviewed about their experiences of and attitudes towards the experience. Finally, a hybrid code adapted from Henri’s (1992) computer mediated conferencing framework and Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle was created to analyse the reflectivity and interactivity in the group discussions.
 Whilst discussion boards are useful as a digital platform to foster collaboration and discursive activities, in practice this assessment as delivered fell short of maximising their efficacy. Despite this, four components of discussion boards were identified and key considerations when using discussion boards to encourage reflective activity in social care work-based placement are proposed and discussed.

Student Perceptions Of The Online Discussion Board

This research examined student perceptions of asynchronous discussion boards using the focused group methodology using an applied research approach. The research purpose was to explore what online students perceive to be worthwhile discussion board content and interactions in online college courses. Ultimately, the goal was to add to the growing body of literature that fosters a deeper understanding of how to improve both teaching strategy and instructional design and increase both the quality and quantity of student participation. The researchers recruited volunteers from closed undergraduate courses to participate in the survey. Emerging themes included concerns over busy work, excessive time requirements, overly structured discussion boards, and the importance of quality, relevance, professor involvement, and respect. To improve participation, teaching strategy, and instructional design for online courses, each of these themes should be addressed as part of the discussion board design and in the online classroom.

Student‐generated memes as a way to facilitate online discussion for adult learners

AbstractThis qualitative study examines how a student‐generated meme activity influences adult learners' interaction in online class discussions. A multiple‐case design is applied to understand how this class discussion activity facilitates online threaded interactions. This study recruited 28 adult learners from a two‐section graduate‐level asynchronous online class. Findings show that entertaining and easy to relate to meme activity generated by students engages adult learners in discussion activities for active learning. It helps learners quickly open up to each other to share and learn from each other. This discussion activity offers an alternative to releasing their emotions and feelings individually and collectively benefits adult learners when approaching new learning. It also shows the advantages of using a discussion activity connecting diverse adult learners and building a sense of community for social support while supporting each other for new learning. Findings indicate a significant role also played by the instructor in facilitating interactions. Our study provides insights into integrating internet tools (memes) with discussion activity for active learning in a fully asynchronous online discussion board.

Promoting Equitable PST Participation in Mathematical Discourse: Rough Drafts on an Asynchronous Discussion Board

Issues of equity in mathematics classrooms existed prior to COVID-19. For many students, however, meaningful participation in mathematical discussions became nearly impossible in online settings during the pandemic. In this study, we note the diversity in and nature of participation in mathematical discourse in an online course for preservice teachers (PSTs). We investigate the influence of implementing two support strategies for discussion: (a) establishing a “rough-draft/revision” orientation to mathematical tasks; and (b) providing time and structure (tasks and prompts) in an online discussion board for PSTs to post their initial thoughts, react to peers’ solutions, and collectively revise their ideas. In this article, we highlight several benefits of these support strategies to equitable PST participation in a unit on number theory. For example, as compared with oral discussions where only a few PSTs offered their ideas, the written discussion format encouraged every PST to post their ideas. Using a rough-draft/revision stance in the prompts fostered sharing and revealed diverse mathematical approaches, perspectives, and ideas. We argue that giving students opportunities to interact with one another and the mathematics in a variety of ways promotes equitable participation.

A Study of Students’ Perceptions Toward the Use of ICT Tools and Collaboration Activities to Increase Interactions During COVID-19

This study has been conducted to investigate what students thought about their experiences trying to interact more frequently during the fall semester of 2020. It took place in a general English classroom at a private Korean university during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to gain insight into students’ perceptions of whether using a learning management system and other Information and Communication Technology tools, taking part in asynchronous discussion board activities, and completing voluntary activities would increase the number of interactions despite taking an emergency online class. A total of 28 first-year students from 6 different sections of a freshmen-level general English course voluntarily participated by filling out a survey at the end of the semester. For data analysis, descriptive statistics were initially analyzed to provide basic numerical data. Then, qualitative analysis was used to find common themes. Finally, student quotes were used to add greater meaning to the findings. The main finding was that the number of interactions between learners and the content, their instructors, and their peers increased due to the use of the learning management system and Information and Communication Technology tools. More detailed findings and implications for future uses are discussed.

Analysis of tensions in the published literature into why ‘lurkers’ do not post in asynchronous discussion boards in higher education contexts

Asynchronous discussion boards are widely used as effective ways of facilitating learning and building online learning communities within online programmes in higher education (Levine, 2007; Lunsford et al., 2015). Large numbers of lurkers (non-posting students) are often considered problematic within these programmes for a variety of reasons. However, their non-posting behaviour means that it is difficult for practitioners to identify their reasons for lurking. This paper provided an integrative review of the main reasons identified in empirical research as to why some students lurk. Viewing these through an activity theory lens, tensions between the elements of the discussion board activity system were identified. These point to possible areas for intervention as well as suggesting a need for more qualitative research to examine the dynamic nature of lurking and investigate how tutors are responding to lurkers. It also identified institutional drivers which promote the tracking and monitoring of how much and how often students post and suggested that ways of tracking and capturing the less visible learning activity be explored.Keywords: asynchronous discussion boards; online learning discussions; activity theory; lurking; non-posting participationPart of the special issue Activity theory in technology enhanced learning research <https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.cbaae672>

Digital MD: A Novel Undergraduate Medical School Elective for Social Media and Digital Scholarship.

An outcomes-based novel curriculum integrating digital literacy, social media, and digital scholarship was implemented into an undergraduate medical education elective for first- and second-year medical students. Learners engaged in asynchronous discussion boards, live didactics and seminars, and a capstone project with peer feedback throughout the 7-week course.

Revitalizing the Muddiest Point for Formative Assessment and Student Engagement in a Large Class.

Ascertaining student understanding can be challenging in large-enrollment and hybrid or asynchronous courses. Instructors needed an innovative instructional strategy to encourage student engagement and support learning in a large-enrollment, mixed-format pathophysiology class. A weekly, graded assignment was created by merging the formative assessment commonly referred to as the muddiest point (MP) with an asynchronous discussion board activity within the learning management system. Each week, students were required to submit a question and respond to a peer. Instructors created a remediation lecture based on the most common student questions. The majority of students reported they benefitted from the MP discussion boards and remediation lectures. The MP discussion board activity is a flexible, instructional strategy to determine areas of confusion, increase student engagement, and facilitate learning in large-enrollment classes offered in multiple formats.

Student experiences of facilitated asynchronous online discussion boards: Lessons learned and implications for teaching practice

As an alliance of academics undertaking blended delivery, we have experienced the challenge of tailoring teaching strategies to different learning styles. Our teaching has evolved, moving from traditional didactic delivery to the utilisation of online technology to accommodate both academic and student expectations. The pressure to teach within constrained resources and issues presented from the COVID-19 pandemic has provided opportunities to optimise educational technology. We identified a gap in genuinely engaged online discussions, observing that pedagogic value was often obscure. This cross-sectional study investigated the opinions and experiences of undergraduate students in four health science online units where asynchronous discussion boards were linked to summative assessment. By assessing discussion posts, students may be motivated to participate further, with student engagement influenced through educator involvement, the discussion purpose and group interactivity. Whilst some students were critical of the value of asynchronous discussion boards, others positively viewed discussions as a platform for peer engagement and information sharing. Discussion boards can provide active learning experiences particularly for online students; however, effective educator involvement and online supportive teaching strategies and practices are crucial to pedagogical success. Based on the key findings from this study we propose implications for practice in a higher education context.

Improving Online Discussion Boards

Asynchronous online discussion boards are a primary tool for instructors to cultivate social and cognitive presence in an online classroom. This article investigates the undergraduate student experience with remote learning during COVID-19 with the intent to examine the purpose and structure of online discussion boards. Researchers used semi-structured student interviews and student course evaluations to analyze learner perceptions of online class discussions. Though the goals of discussion boards are to provide a space for learner to learner interaction and to enhance critical thinking skills, discussion boards often fall short of these intended outcomes due to discussions feeling repetitive and artificial. Findings indicate that long-held traditional practices can be improved with different strategies; students value opportunities to ask questions and have choice. Reimagining the structure of online discussion boards can increase engagement and deepen learning.

Design an international blended professional development model for gifted education: An evaluation study

The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate an international professional development program with a blended learning design in gifted education (i.e., The RITHA program), which is applied globally. By using Design-Based Research, the prototype of this program was examined before it was launched. That process is reported in this study. The main research focus of this study is the blended learning design. Based on the evaluation surveys of training participants, the results showed that participants were highly satisfied with their overall learning in the blended learning model. What was appreciated most was a well-designed course with an instructor to provide good instruction, positive interaction, and quality feedback. The findings show that online courses participants expect synchronous and asynchronous online activities and feedback. The two most mentioned benefits of blended learning seem to be flexibility and the use of asynchronous discussion boards. Implications were also reported.

Interaction in asynchronous discussion boards: a campus-wide analysis to better understand regular and substantive interaction.

Discussion boards can provide a glimpse into the regular and substantive interaction required in online courses. Advances in technology and an increased interest in learning analytics now provides researchers with billions of data points about instructor and student interaction within a learning management system (LMS). This study used LMS data to explore the frequency of interaction between instructors and students in discussion boards in online courses at one institution. Overall, 415 courses were analyzed spanning two semesters. Results from the study found that the average number of posts by an instructor was 32.9. The average instructor interaction was 1.49 instructor posts per student. 23% of courses had no instructor posts. Student posts averaged 470 per course and the average posts per student was 19.9. Based on the discussion board activity, the most discussion interaction occurred during the first two weeks of the semester. Results also suggested that there is no relationship between student satisfaction and the number of total posts in a course. The paper concludes with implications for research and practice.

Lessons Learned: Active Engagement in a Large‐Enrollment Introductory Biochemistry Course During a Remote Quarter

In the spring of 2020, faculty worldwide were forced to abruptly transition in-person courses to an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep students engaged in a large-enrollment introductory biochemistry course, I employed a plethora of techniques from synchronous lectures and active learning via the Zoom platform, to the asynchronous online discussion board Piazza. I also modified the course and assessments in consideration of students’ non-academic struggles relating to the pandemic. Student evaluations at the conclusion of the quarter indicated that they preferred synchronous lectures over asynchronous ones, flipping their pre-course preferences. These techniques and accommodations to the remote learning environment led to an overwhelmingly positive overall experience and promoted student engagement, especially in the face of increasing worldwide social unrest during the remaining two weeks of the quarter.

Exploring engagement of users of Global Englishes in a community of inquiry

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework has been extensively studied. While prior research has investigated the development and validity of the CoI theoretical construct, few studies have focused on the interdependent Cognitive, Social and Teaching Presences of the framework and none have been conducted based on a positive framing of Global Englishes (GE) which directly challenges a monolingual ideology. This mixed methods study considers how GE users in a Second Language Acquisition postgraduate course at a research university in Malaysia experienced these three Presences in their course, and how knowledge was collaboratively constructed in relation to their experience with these Presences. Data sources consisted of the CoI surveys and discussion board posts. Analysis of these posts focused on the relationship between CoI Presences, GE user participation and knowledge construction. Findings suggest that the GE users actively constructed knowledge collaboratively in the CoI, and that they took on varied roles which demonstrated the three Presences. This study makes an empirical contribution to the body of research on GE users and a functioning CoI in asynchronous discussion boards. Additionally, it highlights the importance and potential value of a conscious, empowering framing of students as GE users in transforming research possibilities and outcomes in Applied Linguistics.

Teacher candidate perceptions on alternative asynchronous online discussion boards

Asynchronous online discussion boards are frequently utilized as a pedagogical tool within traditional, hybrid, and online higher education courses. Research has found teacher candidates can be disenchanted with the monotonous structure of traditional asynchronous online discussion boards. In educator preparation, we claim to understand teacher candidates learn differently. Yet, the majority of assignments have a linguistic focus. This demonstration of knowledge is not effective for all teacher candidates. To support all teacher candidates, faculty can find ways to differentiate by incorporating alternative asynchronous discussion board platforms. Four platforms were compared in this study: traditional written response, video response, Flipgrid, and BookSnaps. A mixed-methods approach was used with elementary teacher candidates (n=77) to answer the following research question: 1) What asynchronous online discussion board platform enhanced teacher candidates perceptions of creativity, ability to demonstrate content understanding, student voice, and usefulness toward learning? It is important to understand the factors, which create a high-quality asynchronous discussion board experience. This research can help faculty to determine how to strengthen the asynchronous online discussion board learning experience.

Lessons Learned from Active Engagement in a Large-Enrollment Introductory Biochemistry Course during a Remote Quarter

The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest turned education on its head this quarter. To keep students engaged, a plethora of techniques were employed, ranging from synchronous lectures and activities via the Zoom platform to the asynchronous online discussion board Piazza. Consideration of students’ nonacademic struggles also resulted in course modifications. This last method may have been the most effective in promoting student engagement, especially during the remaining 2 weeks of the quarter with increasing worldwide social unrest.

Characteristics of asynchronous online discussions in a graduate course: an exploratory study

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the following questions: What are the types of discussion prompts in a fully online graduate course? What are the key characteristics of students’ discussion initial posts and replies in a fully online graduate course? In what ways, if any, do discussion prompts influence the types of initial posts and replies in discussion threads?Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the dynamics of students’ knowledge construction through using asynchronous discussion boards. A total of 20 discussion prompts and 115 discussion threads from nine archival discussion boards in a fully online library science course were collected and analyzed.FindingsThe findings identified open-ended, explanatory and reflective prompts in discussion boards. Students engaged in simply stating, paraphrasing, elaborating, extending, reflecting, socializing and sharing emotions in discussion posts. These findings highlighted the interconnectedness of reflection and socio-emotional interactions in a community of inquiry and pointed out their important roles to support richer and deeper online discussions. The study further observed linkages between the types of discussion prompts and the types of discussion posts.Originality/valueThis study addressed an urgent need to understand the use of online discussion boards in an emergency remote teaching condition in a pandemic. The findings of this study offered educators insights into evidence-based design recommendations for prompts to support students’ knowledge construction and deep learning through using discussion boards.

What’s in Your Gifted Education Online Teacher Professional Development? Incorporating Theory- and Practice-Based Elements of Instructional Learning Design

This article examined six theory- and practice-based elements of instructional learning design in online teacher professional development (oTPD), how these elements were implemented into Edinger’s PACKaGE model of gifted education oTPD, and how teachers evaluated each element. Elements were based on Berge’s (1995) instructor roles model theory and gifted education research. Each element was evaluated by teachers ( N = 184) who completed oTPD designed from the PACKaGE model. Self-report survey findings suggest that teachers considered most elements, such as asynchronous discussion board and article review assignments, to be useful to a great extent to their gifted education learning and pedagogy. However, teachers reported less usefulness for the online group project element. This finding directly contrasts with researchers’ suggestions for oTPD. These findings may encourage teachers to choose theory- and research-based oTPD. PD designers can investigate and implement oTPD elements that satisfy instructional design model needs for optimal teacher learning and gifted education pedagogy.