Electronic Discussion Boards Research Articles

Peer-Facilitated Virtual Action Learning: Reflecting on Critical Incidents During a Pediatric Clerkship

Action learning (AL) facilitates reflection, critical thinking, and learning while solving real-world problems. Virtual AL is an asynchronous collaborative process that encourages students to analyze their critical incidents and learn from these experiences. The researchers sought to: 1) determine whether medical students engaged in peer-facilitated virtual action learning (VAL) demonstrated reflection and critical thinking around complex issues during their pediatric clerkship; and 2) identify challenges students face during their clerkships. Seventy clerkship students were introduced to reflection and participated in VAL by using an electronic discussion board. Each posted 1 critical incident and group members responded with thought-provoking questions and comments to facilitate reflection and analysis. Weekly, students who posted incidents revisited their incidents, pondered the questions posed, and wrote essays summarizing their reflections and insights gained. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Seventy incidents, 210 responses, and 70 revised incidents/essays were analyzed. Outcomes included broadened perspectives (44/70), questioned assumptions (12/70), and reconfirmed thinking (14/70). Content themes included communication, role identification, medical treatment concerns, and limited voice and power. Most of the students engaged in VAL demonstrated reflection on complex clinical issues. Themes portrayed struggles encountered and exposed issues in the hidden curriculum, suggesting a lack of voice and power that may lead to missed learning opportunities. Discussion threads offered the clerkship director insights into the overall student experience to improve future clerkship experiences.

Framing and re-framing through computer-mediated communication: providing pre-service teachers with alternate support structures

In this article we suggest that online environments can function as alternate “organizations” for pre-service and beginning teachers who may find themselves struggling in schools. Building on prior work on framing and reframing in organizations and schools, the authors present a new frame of analysis specifically geared for web-based learning/support communities. Data consist of transcripts from two forms of online discourse—an e-mail listserv and an electronic discussion board—from two groups of student teachers located in two US states. The development of the new frame and its potential use is relevant for teachers, teacher educators, and school administrators.

Assessing Reflection and Higher-order Thinking in the Clinical Setting Using Electronic Discussion Threads

Background and Purpose. Students learn both theory and practical application in the classroom. However, for many, these aspects of clinical practice are not fully comprehended until students encounter real-life situations that require them to analyze, evaluate, modify, and apply what they know. Reflection can help students connect classroom knowledge to clinical practice and enable students to engage in higher-order thinking, moving beyond knowledge and comprehension to analysis, synthesis, and evaluation critical for practice. Integral to effective clinical teaching is the ability to assess outcomes. While the literature offers strategies to facilitate reflection and higher-order thinking, little has been written about the assessment process. The purpose of this study was to design and test a method of assessing reflection and higher-order thinking evident in electronic discussion board threads of students involved in virtual action learning sets in the clinical setting. Subjects. Seven entry-level physical therapist students on their final full-time clinical internship participated in this study. Participants were engaged in a collaborative model of clinical education on an acute rehabilitation unit. Methods. Participants were assigned to 2 groups based on the timing of their internship. Both groups received a 2-hour in-service on reflective practice, submitted critical incidents to an electronic discussion board, and participated in an electronic discussion for 4 weeks. Following the discussion board activity, discussion threads were downloaded and analyzed for the presence of the elements of reflection and levels of higherorder thinking using coding schemas previously reported in the literature. The submissions were coded independently by 3 raters and interrater reliability was assessed by percent agreements and kappa statistics. Results. Moderate to almost perfect levels of agreement between raters were achieved for most of the coding schemas used, with interrater prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa coefficients that ranged from 0.38 to 0.92. Discussion and Conclusion. This study provides a reliable method of assessing reflective thinking and higher-order processing in the clinical setting through the use of electronic discussion boards.

Virtual Action Learning Sets: A Model for Facilitating Reflection in the Clinical Setting

Background and Purpose. Reflection is a strategy for learning from experiences that requires active, conscious engagement of the learner. Action learning promotes reflection and higher-order thinking and uses questions to solve real world problems. The authors present a model of learning using virtual-action learning (VAL) sets in the clinical setting. They sought to determine whether this model facilitated reflection and higher-order thinking, whether any differences existed between mentorfacilitated and peer-facilitated groups, and students' perceptions of the process. Method/Model Description and Evaluation. Two groups of physical therapist students (group 1: n=4; group 2: n=3) on their final clinical internship were oriented to reflective process and participated in VAL activity. Each submitted 1 critical incident to an electronic discussion board. Once posted, group members posed questions to facilitate reflection and further analysis. Group 1 was mentored by the clinical instructor (CI); Group 2 was peer-facilitated. An online discussion ensued to enable students to resolve their incidents. After 4 weeks students wrote a 1-page summative, reflective essay on the process and insights gained. Discussion threads and summative essays were analyzed. Descriptive statistics summarized evidence of the elements of reflection and levels of higher-order thinking achieved. Chisquare tests of independence were used to assess differences in frequencies of the reflective elements evident and of the levels of thinking achieved between the groups. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare groups for the number of questions posed versus advice given per entry. Finally, qualitative methods were used to analyze the summative reflective essays for students' perceptions of the process. Outcomes. No significant differences were noted between groups in the frequency of reflective elements evident in the postings. Group 1 exhibited greater proportions of data gathering (chi-square = 14.467, P < .001) and data analysis (chi-square = 4.025, P = .05), but no significant difference was noted when reaching a conclusion. Furthermore, while the mean number of responses phrased as questions did not differ significantly between the groups, those phrased as advice or experience sharing were significantly less in group 1 than in group 2 (z = -4.234, P < .001). Finally, the following themes emerged from the summative essays: (1) reflection is a deliberate analytic process; (2) reflective practice offers insight into the depth of patient management; and (3) VAL sets enhanced collaborative learning. Discussion and Conclusion. Virtualaction learning enabled students to work collaboratively to solve problems using the reflective process in the fast-paced clinical environment. Students valued and learned from the asynchronous dialogue and resultant reflective and questioning processes that promoted further thought, analysis, and problem solving.

Engaging in the Struggle of Educating for a Democracy

This article, based on an interpretive study, examines what happens when a team of teaching fellows and their supervisor attempt to address what they have identified as a “pedagogical crisis” in a social foundations of education course. Student proclivities had resulted in extreme polarization regarding contested social issues. By using a pedagogical trope and electronic discussion boards to invite students to imagine what educating for a democracy might look like in the academy, encouraging yet disturbing engagements among students and teachers ensued. A repertoire of various texts were collected systematically during the semester, which allowed the authors to create a portrayal of the experience of reconceptualizing their pedagogy to reflect principles of deliberative and cultural democracy.

Using Critical Thinking in a Web-Based Public Budgeting Course

Although the use of Internet-based courses continues to grow in the field of public administration education, evidence about the use of critical thinking in Internet-based course discussion questions is still sparse. Studies suggest that many Internet-based courses fail to incorporate critical thinking into the discussion. This article examines use of critical thinking in an electronic Discussion Board in an internet-based course. The author finds that Discussion Questions, in conjunction with Case Assignments and examinations have the potential to provide a forum for developing critical thinking skills since students have more time to reflect on their response than they do in a regular classroom setting.

Joining Forces: Promoting Metalinguistic Awareness Through Computer-supported Collaborative Learning

This paper describes a collaborative Internet-based project involving foreign language students and teacher trainees in three different countries. The project involved both online collaboration with international partners and face-to-face classroom activities and was designed not only to facilitate purposeful, authentic language use, but also to provide a platform for students and teachers to explore social and cultural aspects of the use of the target language. The project included network-based group work carried out via emails and chats, which were complemented by electronic discussion board assignments and individual reflection carried out in student online journals. Analysis of questionnaires, discussion board input, final project reports and student journals suggests that students increased their awareness of different aspects of the target language and paid increased attention to their own language learning process. This was evidenced by explicit comments about the target language (English) concerning both structure and function, as well as comments made about the language learning and teaching. In their self-evaluation at the end of the project, the students indicated that their confidence in using the language had increased and that they felt more motivated to learn and use the target language. Moreover, as soon-to-become foreign language teachers, they felt better prepared and more willing to incorporate online interaction in their own teaching in the future.

Online word‐of‐mouth: a comparison of American and Chinese discussion boards

PurposeThe important influence of peer recommendations on consumer purchases has been strongly established. However, the growth of electronic discussion boards has created a channel for online word‐of‐mouth (OWOM) between people who have never met. This study aims to examine and compare the frequency and content of postings on digital camera electronic discussion boards within US and China based websites.MethodologyData was collected from the “Photography” discussion boards on eBay and EachNet (a China based website). A total of 552 discussion postings from 257 participants over a three month period were analyzed and coded.FindingsThe analysis showed quantitative and qualitative differences in the content across the two sites. There were differences in the pattern of brand mentions across the two websites, and requests for information seeking behaviour also varied across the two sites; users of EachNet were more likely to request information, thus possibly increasing the likelihood of, and influence of, OWOM on this website. There were also significant differences in content, with higher country of origin (CoO) effects on EachNet. CoO effects were largely strongly negative, in particular showing high levels of negative references to brands originating from Japan.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation is the inability to ascertain the nationality of the participants on the discussion boards. Future research will also benefit from an extension of product categories.Originality/valueThe study is the first to examine word‐of‐mouth (WOM) in online discussion boards and thus provides valuable insight for marketers into this growing source of WOM.

An Investigation of Communicative Competence of ESL Students Using Electronic Discussion Boards

This study focuses on the use of electronic discussion boards with elementary-aged English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The purpose of the study is to investigate students’ communicative competence in a computer-mediated communication environment. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze 956 messages posted by 28 ESL students to the electronic discussion board during a six-week period of time. Changes were found in children’s use of language for social purposes and appropriate use of language in different social and cultural settings. Recommendations for teachers include the design of online discussion activities and future considerations of peer assistance in language learning.

Elecronic Word-of-Mouth

ABSTRACTThe important influence of peer recommendations on consumer purchases has been strongly established. However, recent growth in electronic discussion boards has increased the potential for electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) between people who have never met. This study examines and compares the extent of eWOM on electronic discussion boards within U.S. and China based websites. Using online surveys (N = 214) and observation of discussion postings (N = 3029), data was collected from the “Digital Photography” discussion boards on eBay, Yahoo, and Google (U.S. based websites) and EachNet, Sina, and Netease (China based websites). The findings indicated both similarities and differences in the information giving and seeking behaviors, with the U.S. participants more likely to provide information than Chinese participants, resulting in the U.S. based discussion boards containing a richer source of information relative to requests.

``Town Hall" Meetings for the Masses or ``Social Clubs" for the Motivated? - A Study of Citizens' Discussions on the Internet

The growth of the Internet during the last decade has resulted in much scholarly attention. Supporters of the optimistic mobilization-theory argue that cyber politics and cyber discussions are comparable and sometimes even superior to traditional politics. Moreover this new form of politics has the potential of mobilizing new citizens into the realm of politics. Critics, however, argue from a reinforcement perspective that the effects of cyber politics are utterly limited. Even in a utopia with the digital divide in Internet access abolished, reinforcement proponents argue that politics on the internet still only appeals to the politically "converted" citizens. In this study I focus on six Finnish electronic discussion boards. The main question asked is whether these electronic debates display traits of either the mobilization or the reinforcement theory. Is cyber politics mobilizing the masses or do the discussions resemble social clubs for the motivated?

Virtual and Traditional Feedback‐Seeking Behaviors: Underlying Competitive Attitudes and Consequent Grade Performance

ABSTRACTThe electronic medium continues to play an increasingly important role in the delivery of management education despite a paucity of empirical studies on its impact and efficacy. Results from a study of competitive attitudes and feedback‐seeking behaviors across seven “hybrid” electronic cum live classes showed that Kiasu‐Negative (a competitive attitude directed at preventing others from getting ahead of oneself) and Kiasu‐Positive (a competitive attitude directed at personal diligence to get ahead of others) (Hwang, Ang, &amp; Francesco, 2002) were related to two electronic discussion board feedback‐seeking behaviors. These feedback‐seeking behaviors, in turn, were related to grade performance as measured by multiple‐choice tests. Traditional feedback‐seeking measures of asking the professor in class or outside the class, and checking with fellow students for their views on class topics did not have a positive influence on multiple‐choice test performance. In light of these findings, educators should consider how best to encourage participation on electronic discussion boards for hybrid type courses, while researchers should further examine the underlying causes of learning from such electronic exchanges. Other implications of these findings are also discussed.

A "Hybrid" Bacteriology Course: The Professor's Design and Expectations; The Students' Performance and Assessment

A basic bacteriology course was offered in two successive academic years, first in a conventional format and subsequently as a "hybrid" course. The latter combined (i) online presentation of content, (ii) an emphasis on online resources, (iii) thrice-weekly, face-to-face conversations to advance understanding, and (iv) frequent student postings on an electronic discussion board. We compared the two courses through statistical analysis of student performances on the final examinations and the course overall and student assessment of teaching. The data indicated that there was no statistical difference in performance on the final examinations or the course overall. Responses on an instrument of evaluation revealed that students less strongly affirmed the following measures in the hybrid course: (i) The amount of work was appropriate for the credit received, (ii) Interactions between students and instructor were positive, (iii) I learned a great deal in this course, and (iv) I would recommend this course to other students. We recommend clear direction about active learning tasks and relevant feedback to enhance learning in a hybrid course.

Using electronic discussion boards to teach responsible conduct of research

This study presents the results of a survey of student satisfaction with electronic discussion boards in a course on the responsible conduct of research (RCR). On a 1-5 scale, the respondents stated that the use of the electronic discussion board was an effective teaching tool (4.71), that it enabled them to get feedback from their peers (4.43), that it helped promote discussion and debate (4.36), that it helped them learn how to analyze ethical dilemmas in research (4.36), and that they would consider using an electronic discussion board, if they ever taught a course themselves (4.76). In their written comments, the respondents indicated that electronic discussion boards are a convenient way of promoting debate and in-depth discussion. These results suggest, but do not prove, that discussion boards can promote debate and discussion in courses on research ethics. Instructors who teach RCR should consider using electronic discussion boards in regular or online courses, and they should consider studying the effectiveness of electronic discussion boards in research ethics education. Although electronic discussion boards cannot replace the face-to-face interaction that occurs in a classroom setting, they may provide a useful medium for the exchange of ideas and opinions online.

Effectively Moderating Electronic Discussions

While instructors are increasingly using electronic discussion boards in their classes, there is little agreement about how to best use this technology. As such, many instructors may simply attempt to use on-line discussions in the same way they use in-class discussions. There are, however, fundamental differences between the two. Because of this, the role and techniques used by moderators of on-line discussions should be different. Building on the previous work using electronic discussions to teach critical thinking in economics (Greenlaw and DeLoach 2003), this paper concentrates on strategies to effectively moderate on-line discussions. The primary job of the moderator is to insure that the discussion is continually making progress towards more advanced critical thinking. Moderator comments should be limited to helping students make the transitions associated with increasing cognitive complexity rather than leading them to pre-determined answers.

A “Hybrid” Bacteriology Course: The Professor’s Design and Expectations; The Students’ Performance and Assessment

A basic bacteriology course was offered in two successive academic years, first in a conventional format and subsequently as a “hybrid” course. The latter combined (i) online presentation of content, (ii) an emphasis on online resources, (iii) thrice-weekly, face-to-face conversations to advance understanding, and (iv) frequent student postings on an electronic discussion board. We compared the two courses through statistical analysis of student performances on the final examinations and the course overall and student assessment of teaching. The data indicated that there was no statistical difference in performance on the final examinations or the course overall. Responses on an instrument of evaluation revealed that students less strongly affirmed the following measures in the hybrid course: (i) The amount of work was appropriate for the credit received, (ii) Interactions between students and instructor were positive, (iii) I learned a great deal in this course, and (iv) I would recommend this course to other students. We recommend clear direction about active learning tasks and relevant feedback to enhance learning in a hybrid course.

E-Collaboration in Distributed Requirements Determination

It is widely agreed that the trend toward distributed software development is growing. Although there are difficulties involved, this trend is here to stay, as organizations will continue to search for ways to develop software at lower cost but with same quality. Current research has focused primarily on the later stages of the software development life cycle, especially coding of software requirements. However, as organizations become more virtual, distributed development will become more apparent throughout the entire life cycle. In this study, we investigate distributed e-collaboration in requirements determination in software development. We report on results from a field experiment with two graduate level Information Systems classes, one located in Porto Alegre, Brazil and one in Chicago, Ilinois, USA. The students in Brazil played the role of users whereas the students in Chicago role-played analysts. The Chicago-based students developed a requirements document for an information system by interviewing the Brazil students using an electronic discussion board. Our findings provide insight into the distributed analysis process and identify sources of potential problems.

Challenges of Internet Recruitment: A Case Study with Disappointing Results

BackgroundThe Internet provides tremendous opportunities for innovative research, but few publications on the use of the Internet for recruiting study participants exist. This paper summarizes our experiences from 2 studies in which we attempted to recruit teenagers on the Internet for a questionnaire study to evaluate a smoking-cessation website.Objective To evaluate strategies of recruiting teenagers for the evaluation of a smoking-cessation website through the Internet.MethodsIn Study 1 (Defined Community Recruitment), we sent invitation emails to registered members of a youth health website, CyberIsle. A total of 3801 email addresses were randomly divided into 2 groups. In the first group, emails indicated that the first 30 respondents would receive a Can $20 electronic gift certificate for use at an online bookstore if they would go to the Smoking Zine website and respond to a short survey. For the second group, the email also indicated that respondents would receive an additional Can $10 gift certificate if they referred their friends to the study. Reminder emails were sent 10 days after the sending of the initial invitation email. In Study 2 (Open Recruitment), we posted invitation messages on Web discussion boards, Usenet forums, and one specialized recruitment website, and attempted a snowball recruiting strategy. When potential participants arrived at the study site, they were automatically randomized into either the higher incentives group (Can $15 electronic gift certificate) or lower incentive group (Can $5 gift certificate).ResultsIn Study 1 (defined community recruitment), 2109 emails were successfully delivered. Only 5 subjects (0.24%), including 1 referred by a friend, passed the recruitment process and completed the questionnaire; a further 6 individuals visited the information page of the study but did not complete the study. In Study 2 (open recruitment), the number of users seeing the advertisement is unknown. A total of 35 users arrived at the website, of whom 14 participants were recruited (8 from the Can $15 gift certificate group and 6 from the Can $5 gift certificate group). Another 5 were recruited from the general Internet community (3 from discussion boards and 2 from the Research Volunteers website). The remaining 9 participants were recruited through friend referrals with the snowball strategy.ConclusionsOverall, the recruitment rate was disappointingly low. In our case, recruitment using Internet technologies including email, electronic discussion boards, Usenet forums, and websites did not prove to be an effective approach for soliciting young subjects to participate in our research. Possible reasons are discussed, including the participants' perspective. A major challenge is to differentiate trustable and legitimate messages from spam and fraudulent misinformation on the Internet. From the researchers' perspective, approaches are needed to engage larger samples, to verify participants' attributes, and to evaluate and adjust for potential biases associated with Internet recruitment.

EFFECTIVENESS OF HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Hybrid learning environment (HLE) is a classroom- and computer-based environment that is an open system, allowing synchronous and asynchronous interactions and encounters with other participants. This paper assesses the learning effectiveness of students in HLE for two core MSIS courses at DSU. In conclusion, the results attest to the viability of HLE. In-class and video conferencing students get to benefit from the virtual classroom setting (supporting web-site, asynchronous communication via electronic discussion board and email, and the opportunity to review the recorded class), while Internet students get to benefit by reducing the anxiety and feeling of isolation through the opportunity to feel and experience the classroom setting. HLE affords alternative delivery mechanisms, thereby accommodating various learning models.

An Internet Discussion Board for Parents of Mentally Ill Young Children

This paper reports parents' use of electronic bulletin board for social support during a pilot study of an Internet intervention. Parents participated for a mean of 13.83 weeks. The convenience sample consisted of six parents. Data were from site access information and parents' postings. Excluding one mother who checked frequently for messages, mothers have an average of 5.2 postings. Excluding this one mother, the postings/ accesses ratio was greater than 60%. Parents made postings in four categories of "child's illness" having 37 comments and 36 comments for "group maintenance". While the study findings cannot be generalized, these results suggest that parents will use electronic discussion boards.