Use Of Discussion Boards Research Articles

Using Asynchronous Discussions to Teach Classroom Management Skills in Online Teacher Preparation Courses

Classroom management is a vital skill for all teachers. Special education teacher educators are tasked with ensuring that teacher candidates are prepared to implement evidence-based practices for the prevention and intervention of challenging behaviors. Many teacher candidates are taking their coursework in an asynchronous online format, which likely includes the use of discussion boards. In this article, we offer suggestions for using four discussion board formats to support teacher candidates in learning classroom management skills. These effective discussion board formats are (a) sharing products that students have created, (b) video-based discussions, (c) jigsaw discussions, and (d) debates. When high quality discussion boards are integrated into asynchronous online courses, student learning and engagement will increase, therefore, creating higher quality preparation programs.

Online student engagement in times of emergency: Listening to the voices of students

The closure of schools and colleges worldwide, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and stay-at-home protocols, were timely actions given the surge in infection rates. It became immediately necessary for innovative strategies to be put in place to engage students while they remained at home. In Ghana, many traditional universities adopted the use of online learning tools to promote learning amongst their students during this period of uncertainty. In this exploratory case study, I explore the experiences of final year undergraduate students ( N = 18) in the University of Ghana with the intention of examining: (1) the various strategies adopted by lecturers to engage students in online learning during this time when they were at home; (2) the challenges the students experienced; and (3) the students’ views on ways of promoting effective student online learning engagement during future emergencies. Three strategies were identified by the students as being used by the lecturers for online learning engagement, namely videoconferencing, use of discussion boards, and use of regular assignments. It was found that the students experienced manifold engagement challenges in online learning including data and network problems, technical difficulties, assessment overload, as well as administrative issues. In order to ensure effective student online learning engagement in future national emergencies, it was suggested that resources such as internet facilities should be made available to students; assessment load should be reduced while interactive and active online learning engagement strategies are prioritized; and administrative support should be offered to students. The study’s findings have significant implications for the planning, design and the implementation of online learning programmes in higher education.

Investigating Student Engagement and Making Science Real during a Pandemic: Bioskills at Home, a Case Study

Development of key practical skills is fundamental to bioscience courses in higher education. With limitations on access to laboratory time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a “Bioskills at home” kit was developed to create opportunities for first year undergraduate students to develop these skills using online support resources to guide their activities and build communities of learning. Equipment and activities in this kit enabled students to practice key skills such as pipetting, data handling, experimental design and microscopy, as well as build an online peer learning community through the use of discussion boards and microscopy competitions that encouraged students to explore their local environment. Students who engaged with these activities reported increased confidence in key practical skills. Practical assessment of skills showed that that there was no reduction in the proportion of students who succeeded in achieving the pipetting learning objective compared to previous years, despite a significantly reduced on-campus provision. Although the celebration event to choose the microscopy competition winners was well attended, there was limited use of the discussion boards by students to build a community of learning during the term. Refinement of this initiative will focus on providing greater scaffolding to encourage greater engagement with activities and enhance community building.

CASE STUDY OF ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD USE IN AN ENGINEERING EDUCATION GRADUATE COURSE

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.

FP6 Supporting Healthy Habits in Childcare with Online Trainings for CACFP Participants

Objective To develop interactive and engaging online trainings for CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) participants, based on adult learning principles and instructional strategy, including audience analysis, and formative evaluation of knowledge gained. The modules support healthy habits in childcare homes and centers. Description A training needs assessment of CACFP participants, completed as part of the Iowa Team Nutrition 2017 grant, revealed menu planning and healthy food purchasing were topics of greatest interest. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist wrote content for the modules and Iowa Public Television provided instructional design consultation on best practices for adult learners; online course template with discussion board; knowledge assessments; video production; and certification procedures. Healthy Menu Makeover and Healthy Food Purchasing modules were developed, including lesson content, assessments, graphics, links to resources, and certificates of completion. The modules were pilot tested by 10 CACFP participants who provided valuable feedback to make the modules relevant to users. The total budget for the project was $13,500. The modules are available at no cost, can be completed at the participant's own pace and accessed anywhere with an internet connection. Evaluation The modules were released in April 2018 and certificates earned through December 2018 included 516 for Healthy Menu Makeover and 288 for Healthy Food Purchasing. A participant is allowed to take a final quiz up to three times to reach a passing grade of at least 80% correct. Demographic survey results report 51% of users are from centers and 38% are home providers. Conclusions and Implications The online modules have been a popular and effective training option to meet CACFP training requirements in Iowa. Lessons learned include the value of a needs assessment to determine training topics, implementation of an instructional design process, use of an online learning platform, and use of discussion boards to engage learners.

FROM POSTS TO PATTERNS: A METRIC TO CHARACTERIZE DISCUSSION BOARD ACTIVITY IN ONLINE COURSES

Asynchronous text based discussion boards are included in many online courses, however strategies to compare their use within and between courses, from a disciplinary standpoint, have not been well documented in the literature. The goal of this project was to develop a multi-factor metric which could be used to characterize discussion board use in a large data set (n=11,596 message posts) and to apply this metric to all Mathematics courses offered in the January 2008 term by the Center for Distance Learning at Empire State College. The results of this work reveal that student participation rates, quantity of student posts, quality of student posts and the extent of threading are well correlated with instructor activity.

Co-creation and online learning

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how students interact with discussion boards, given different cultural backgrounds. The paper draws from the literature on activity theory, communities of practice, as well as learning theory to inform a discussion on students use of discussion boards.Design/methodology/approachStudents from a range of nationalities studying in London were issued with a five-point Likert scale questionnaire that was supplemented with opportunities for students to elaborate on their thoughts through the use of open response comment boxes. In addition to qualitative analysis, statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test was undertaken to investigate the degree to which national background influenced the use of discussion boards. Students were divided into four groups (British, European, Asian and African) for the purpose of analysis.FindingsThe findings tentatively echo earlier work (Hofstede) on how cultural/national factors impact on how people approach work/study. In this case, differences between African and Asian students were most apparent in a number of interesting areas.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited by the sample size and time constraints involved. The data were drawn from 70 students. Future student intake will be added to this cohort to build up the sample and test preliminary findings.Practical implicationsThis paper infers that teachers should be actively aware of how nationality/cultural background may impact on how students learn and engage with information technology during the learning process.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the work on learning in diverse learning communities and how information technology can contribute to a learning community.

Online Discussion Boards: The Practice of Building Community for Adult Learners

Online education continues to grow, and the application of theory to practice becomes increasingly important as practitioners examine the impact technology has on e-classroom interaction. Adult students, in particular, look for interaction that is collaborative and student-centered. A common area for dialogue within the online classroom is the discussion board or forum, yet despite the large amount of research that has been conducted on the use of discussion boards, many online classrooms fail to effectively use the board to encourage social interaction and learning. This review of literature summarizes the research around best practices and strategies within the practice of online learning, specific to the roles of the instructor, the student, and the course design of the discussion board. Constructivist techniques used to foster communication and a sense of community help administrators and educators build environments for active user engagement. This literature review assists the practitioner to apply research-based techniques to improve the online discussion board.

Teaching About Psychological Disorders

This study compares the traditional use of case studies against the novel use of discussion boards to teach naive students in the United Arab Emirates about anxiety disorders. Sixty-six female students from an abnormal psychology class were randomly assigned to either the case study condition (CSC) or the discussion board condition (DBC). Students read about anxiety disorders and at the end of the class rated their experience based on four learning outcomes. In each instance, students in the DBC rated their learning outcomes significantly higher than students in the CSC. This suggests that incorporating discussion boards as a pedagogical tool can add a new dimension for engaging student interest, fostering knowledge development, and increasing empathy.

Academic success is about self-efficacy rather than frequency of use of the learning management system

<p>Previous studies have investigated the association between the frequency of student learning management system (LMS) use (logins, discussion board use, resources used, etc.) and academic achievement. These studies indicate that low LMS use by students is likely to result in less academic success. However, these models fail to take into account self-beliefs that may also increase the explanatory value of learning analytics from the LMS. This study surveyed 310 students (<em>M </em>= 22.10 years, <em>SD </em>= 6.30 years) undertaking a first year health psychology subject. Results show the central role of self-efficacy in predicting student performance. Online activity was not predictive of performance, suggesting the primacy of psychological factors more so than online engagement in determining outcome. Of the motivational factors, <em>amotivation</em> was the single significant predictor of academic achievement. Proposed future research directions include the need to evaluate whether these results are sustained over time.</p>

Book Review: Technological Applications in Adult and Vocational Education Advancement, edited by Wang, V. C. X.

Wang, V. C. X. (Ed.). (2013). Technological Applications in Adult and Vocational Education Advancement. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. 279 pp. ISBN 978-1-46662062-9 (hardcover) Technology has become an essential part of today's society. Daily activities from banking to shopping have been transformed by technological applications designed to simplify a consumer's life. In Victor C. X. Wang's Technological Applications in Adult and Vocational Education, practitioners are reminded of the misconception technology can replace adult employees in vocational and adult (p. xv). Instead technology should be used to the learning experience. The authors examine how technological applications may be used in a variety of settings. This book serves as a guide for educators to understand how one may utilize technology to foster a change in behavior with appropriate teaching methods and instructional technologies. While not required by most organizations, adult educators are encouraged to seek additional training and knowledge on the use of technology in the facilitation of learning among adults. Despite the increasing use of technological applications, Wang reminds educators that humans created technology. Its purpose includes serving the learning needs of the leaner, and the instructional needs of the instructor. The authors focus on how technology may be used to transform adult learners into critical thinkers and reflectors instead of replacing them. Individuals from universities around the world author the 18 chapters within the book. Chapters provide educators and administrators with insight on some of the more unfamiliar, yet significant, uses of technology in adult education. Chapters discuss workplace incivility, academic success predictors, fair use of information technology, collaborative learning, and educational leadership. Several chapters bring attention to issues of technology and education prevalent in mainstream media and society. Chapter 3 examines the educational quality of online learning programs in Assuring Quality in Online Course Delivery. The authors discuss how institutions look to harness the power of the Internet and technology to provide desirable learning modalities and quality educational interactions. The book considers factors important to quality online course delivery, including effective course design, continuous faculty engagement, and administrative support. The authors continue by recommending faculty members who teach online courses to locate and utilize tools that enhance course instruction for better student learning and engagement, such as the use of discussion boards, blogs, and other virtual learning applications. …

P061: Mobile digital access to a web-enhanced network (mDAWN): mHealth for type-2 diabetes self-management and implications for emergency medicine

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus affects over 2.7 million Canadians, with 90% being Type-2 diabetes (CDA 2010). Complications of diabetes are major causes for emergency department (ED) visits, adversely affecting patients’ health and costing the health system. Improving diabetes self-management can lead to avoidance of ED visits and revisits after discharge. Recent developments in mobile Health (mHealth), such as home health monitoring with sensors, social media, and text messaging, have shown promise in supporting patients in chronic disease self-management. This project tested the feasibility of these tools to support self-management for people with type-2 diabetes. Methods: Forty-three people with type-2 diabetes took part in a three month program that provided: health information via text messages, online access to curated resources and a facilitated discussion board, and access to wireless monitoring devices. Participants were outfitted with a wireless blood pressure monitor and weight scale, standard blood glucose monitor, and online access to their physiological data. Data collected included pre and post-self-reported health measures, tracking of physiological changes, website and discussion board use, cost survey, and interviews. Results: Participants reported significantly less health distress and an increase in diabetes empowerment. HbA1c levels decreased from an average of 7.41 to 6.77. Average weight and blood glucose also decreased over the study period. Interview and cost survey findings revealed most participants felt mDAWN provided good value; 78% expressed interest in continuing all or parts of the program. Interview findings revealed that participants developed self-management routines, and experienced increased self-awareness of, and ownership over, their health achievements. Conclusion: mHealth tools provided participants with their own physiologic information, connection with peers, and evidence informed advice. Participants highly valued this combination and improved their self-management and health outcomes. Equipping patients with similar tools for self-management post ED discharge holds great promise for decreasing revisits and improving health outcomes. This study has stimulated a clinical trial now underway to evaluate the effectiveness of home monitoring to facilitate the transition of patients between acute care and community settings.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Working Mothers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based intervention to promote physical activity and self-worth among working mothers. Participants (N = 69) were randomly assigned to receive a standard web-based intervention or an enhanced intervention that included group dynamics strategies to promote engagement. The 8-week intervention was guided by self-determination theory. Each week, participants were instructed to complete 3 tasks: listen to a podcast related to well-being, complete a workbook assignment, and communicate with other participants on a discussion board. Participants in the enhanced condition received an additional weekly task to enhance group cohesion. Data were collected at baseline, week 8, and week 16. Physical activity (P < .001, η2 = 0.35) and self-worth (P < .001, η2 = 0.39) increased significantly in both groups following the intervention, and introjected (P < .001, η2 = 0.30) and external motivation (P = .04, η2 = 0.10) decreased. Website use declined across the 8-week intervention in both groups (P < .001, η2 = 0.48); however, discussion board use was higher in the enhanced condition (P = .04, η2 = 0.21). These findings suggest web-based interventions can improve physical activity and self-worth among working mothers. Group dynamics strategies only minimally enhanced user engagement, and future studies are needed to optimize web-based intervention designs.

Facilitating the Creation of Knowledge within an e-Learning Framework to Develop Critical Thinking Skills

In this article I will share a self- study of an online course. The course being explored is a first year undergraduate degree course with a large student cohort. In order to provide relevant and positive student experiences, best teaching practices are constantly being sourced, critiqued and explored. Two assessment styles will be discussed such as, experiential based learning, which allows students to maximise their own learning potential and the use of discussion board as on online learning tool, which promotes a writing collaboration between student and facilitator. As part of my current Doctoral research, this paper will further demonstrate how students developed critical thinking skills using their own sense of a writing identity; they became the creators of knowledge sharing. Analysing the course feedback and outcomes revealed not only androgogical challenges and successes in cultural competence, but also how e-learning success can be achieved in developing critical thinking skills within a cultural framework for first year students. The outcome of this research will contribute to the existing knowledge on best teaching practice in online teaching and learning within a cultural framework and its implications for the future. 

How useful are discussion boards and written critical reflections in helping social work students critically reflect on their field education placements?

Critical reflection is regarded as a necessary skill in social work practice. While there is extensive literature on the need to develop the skills for critical reflection, there is little research into whether discussion boards and guided critical incident questions are useful in helping social work students develop critical reflection. This article reports an exploratory study conducted about the use of discussion boards and written reflections by social work students undertaking field placement. Results indicate that, conducted within a safe learning environment, students do engage with both discussion boards and written reflections to critically reflect on their social work practice.

Discussion boards as collaborative learning tools

Discussion boards are seen as convenient learning tools to use with higher education students. Although even the most basic learning management system has a discussion board available, unless the academic has a clear purpose for the discussion board, students will not use it. This article presents ways in which collaboration can occur between students and academics through the researcher’s experience of using discussion boards with on- and off-campus students. Student’s perceptions of the use of discussion boards will demonstrate ways in which learning can occur through student/student, student/academic or individual use of the discussion board. Their perceptions will provide evidence of a discussion board being used as a community of practice. Ethical and moral issues around the use of discussion boards will also be discussed. The article also provides a variety of scenarios on how to use discussion board with students.

Faculty Attitudes about Distance Education

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in distance learning in higher education. Given this, it is extremely important to understand faculty attitudes about distance education, not only because they can vary widely, but also because it is the faculty, through their design and implementation of online courses, that will shape the future of distance education. The purpose of the present study is to uncover faculty attitudes about distance education in a specific context, namely that of a mid-sized mid-Atlantic state university. Data sources consist of posts from two of six discussion boards written by 21 faculty participants during an Online Faculty Development Program. Findings are categorized according to (i) philosophical discussions about collaboration, online versus face-to-face courses, and anonymity, (ii) practical discussions about instructor workload and small group discussions, and (iii) practical applications on the incorporation of discussion boards, access, and guidelines for discussion board use. The study ends with course design and faculty training implications.

Internationalisation in online distance learning postgraduate education: a case study on student views on learning alongside students from other countries

Internationalisation in higher education has been shown to provide both intellectual and cultural benefits to students which can help in their future employment. This case study describes student views on learning alongside students from different countries in an online distance learning environment. Seventy-three students undertaking the online Master of Public Health programme at Manchester University, UK completed the survey which explored student experiences, views and opinions on aspects of the course. Learning about other countries’ health systems and the experiences of public health professionals in other countries were identified as a key benefit of studying alongside students from other countries. Students were able to appreciate other perspectives, reconsider their own attitudes and improve their understanding of the context of public health issues. The benefits of learning alongside students from other countries can be enhanced within an online learning environment through the appropriate use of discussion boards and other online learning strategies.

ONLINE COURSE DESIGN: BUSINESS STUDENT PREFERENCES FOR CONTENT DELIVERY, COMMUNICATION AND TESTING METHODOLOGIES

ABSTRACT Online courses require instructors to choose from numerous course design options. This paper analyzes student preferences for alternative online content delivery, student-to-professor communication, and testing methodologies to aid in the business course design decision process. The undergraduate students surveyed are enrolled in an undergraduate, online business degree program. Results indicate that student preferences vary considerably. Students who value convenience prefer content delivery methods using either assigned readings or pre-recorded audio presentations, while students who value university accreditation or reputation favor pre-recorded audio or video presentations. Students in more quantitative majors, including finance and supply chain management, prefer pre-recorded audio presentations while students in less quantitative majors, including corporate management, prefer assigned readings. All students prefer the use of email followed by the use of discussion boards to interact with professors. To limit cheating during testing and to allow for schedule flexibility, students prefer the use of different questions for each student versus offering a single exam at one pre-arranged exam time. Keywords Business Education, Teaching of Business, Online Education, Teaching Online

A Cross-Country Comparison of Virtual Discussion Board Use in United States and Costa Rican Education Settings

The purpose of the current study was to compare the use of virtual discussion boards in various educational settings in the United States and Costa Rica. Participants included professors of education, in-service and pre-service teachers in the United States and Costa Rica where a survey was used that included demographic, knowledge, attitude, and behavioral questions regarding the use of virtual discussion boards. Results indicated that sixty-two percent of the participants used discussion boards in an educational setting. Instructors reported creating discussion board prompts that were constructivist in nature, and responses were frequently assessed for reflection, application, or collaboration. Findings show implications for educators in Costa Rica the United States due to the extensive rural landscape that perpetuates a need for alternative forms of communication and distance learning as well as to provide a comparison to how this technology is used in United States educational settings.