Text-based Discussion Research Articles

From femcels to ‘femcelcore’: Women’s involuntary celibacy and the rise of heteronihilism

This article analyses the shifting media visibilities of femcels: women who self-identify as being involuntary celibate. It first considers the ‘original’ femcel community which emerged on Reddit in 2018, and which was based on often-despairing, even nihilistic, text-based discussion. It then considers the more recent shift to ‘femcelcore’: a social media aesthetic or ‘vibe’, communicated through short, apparently ironic videos on TikTok. We contextualise ‘original’ femceldom within the ‘femosphere’, a complex ecology of female-centric online communities that mirrors the deeply fatalistic, gender-essentialist, ‘red-pilled’ logics of the manosphere, and we situate ‘femcelcore’ within recent histories and aesthetics of ‘sad girl’ culture. Despite their differences, both iterations of mediated femceldom ostensibly reject patriarchal notions of feminine ‘perfection’; they seem to offer a critique of neoliberal feminism, and to comprise a potentially feminist online community, and as such, we consider whether this phenomenon may signal a radical break with the hegemonic postfeminism of recent decades. However, we argue that both iterations of femceldom ultimately provide a weak and highly problematic basis for collective feminism. Drawing on Robyn Marasco’s concept of ‘womanly nihilism’ we argue that, rather than pursuing a feminism of solidarity and collective strength, these mediated femceldoms are rooted in logics of pain and fatalism; they mobilise strategies of self-numbing, dissociation and irony, coupled with the rejection of social hope. They signify not a collective feminist movement, but a fatalistic, dissociative, ‘anti-hope’ retreat from transformative politics, and a turn to the individualising dynamics of TikTok ‘vibes’. Building on Asa Seresin’s notion of ‘heteropessimism’, we introduce the concept of ‘heteronihilism’ to make sense of the widespread mood of ‘giving up’ that is increasingly entwined with, and expressed through, the radicalisation of negative heterosexual experience. We therefore introduce a new theoretical lens for analysing the politics of gender, sexuality and popular media, in a context of a growing and complex backlash against ‘liberal feminism’.

The Body as Pedagogy: Exploring Literacies of the Body in Children’s Literature

Using literacies of the body and critical literacy lenses, this article examines an author visit and possibilities for centering the body in text-based discussions with children.

Specialized Knowledge, Text-Based Discussion, and Preparing Elementary Teachers for Disciplinary Literacy in English Language Arts Classrooms

ABSTRACT Text-based discussion is a form of disciplinary literacy that engages students in collaboratively building understanding of texts. It is a form of instruction that benefits students’ reading comprehension, but is rarely used in classrooms, despite its potential. This rarity may be because facilitating discussion requires teachers to have specialized knowledge of text. Specifically, teachers must understand how authors use discipline-specific text features and language patterns to convey meaning and how readers notice and evaluate these aspects of texts as they build textual understandings. This mixed methods study adopts a convergent-parallel design to investigate the effects of a 14-week intervention on pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) acquisition of specialized knowledge and its application to text-based discussions conducted with students in field placements. Findings suggest that the intervention improved PSTs’ specialized knowledge and that teachers felt more prepared for their discussions after applying their knowledge when planning discussions. However, even at the end of the intervention, PSTs continued to demonstrate gaps in their specialized knowledge, which influenced their ability to lead text-based discussions. The findings have implications for teacher educators attempting to prepare novice teachers for text-based discussions.

‘I never see anyone like myself represented in discussions about endometriosis’: priorities of LGBTQIA + endometriosis patients in New Zealand

Limited information is available regarding the experiences and perspectives of LGBTQIA + patients internationally, and no literature exists for New Zealand. Twenty-eight LGBTQIA + endometriosis patients took part in asynchronous, online text-based discussions about their experiences navigating endometriosis diagnosis and management in Aotearoa New Zealand. Their qualitative responses were coded in an iterative thematic manner. The mean delay to diagnosis of this cohort was 10.2 ± 5.6 years from symptom onset, longer than previously reported delays in Aotearoa New Zealand. Participants shared a strong discomfort with the predominant focus of endometriosis management strategies on penetrative sex and pregnancy, and the sense they were dismissed if prioritising these functions was not their priority. Several potential improvements to current treatment and care for LGBTQIA + endometriosis patients were generally agreed upon by the cohort, including research to better understand a practice approach for managing the symptoms of transmasculine patients; expanding the management strategies for patients who are not prioritising fertility and penetrative sex; improving awareness of LGBTQIA + people and experiences amongst medical practitioners to reduce homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, misgendering and mistreatment in care; and the development of gender-neutral spaces for the support of patients who feel uncomfortable in cisgender women-centric endometriosis spaces.

The Perspectives of Māori and Pasifika Mate Kirikōpū (Endometriosis) Patients in Aotearoa New Zealand

Experiences with endometriosis have been understudied in indigenous and people of colour populations. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of Māori and Pasifika endometriosis patients in Aotearoa New Zealand. Twenty-seven Māori endometriosis participants from 21 iwi (tribes), and 10 Pasifika participants from 8 different island nations participated in online, asynchronous, anonymous text-based discussions about their endometriosis journeys. Their explanations were analysed qualitatively with an inductive thematic approach. The average delay from symptom onset to a confirmed or suspected endometriosis diagnosis was 11.6 ± 7.8 years in the Māori cohort and 12.4 ± 6.2 years in the Pasifika cohort. There were high levels of dissatisfaction with the availability of treatment, with 66.7% of Māori participants and 60.0% of Pasifika participants feeling that endometriosis treatment was not readily available to them. Poor experiences with the medical profession might dissuade Māori and Pasifika patients from seeking care, exacerbating a culture of distrust and perpetuating healthcare inequities. This could potentially be improved by increasing the capacity to take time for relationship building within general practice or through the incorporation of cultural advisors to support relationship establishment that emphasises holistic consideration of patient well-being and culturally safe care.

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

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.

“The conversation has more levels”: exploring Zoom’s text chat as a discussion mediator in middle school teachers’ online professional development

This study examined the role of text-based discussions in mediating middle school teachers’ discussions during a semester-long, online, synchronous professional development sequence. The PD sequence involved teachers engaged in weekly Zoom meetings, during which they learned about digital literacy and designed curricula. Qualitative data analysis of the transcripts of Zoom chats and spoken comments revealed three central findings: text-based chatting a) provided an additional, public mode for participants to mediate thinking and collaboration, b) allowed for multilayered, democratic, and more equitable access to the conversation, and c) served as an informal space where participants built community through playful discourse. The findings highlight the potential of multimodal, multilayered discussion spaces for facilitating collaborative thinking and more equitable discussion access for learners.

What Would You Do?: Engaging Remote Learners Through Stop-Action Videos.

Engaging remote learners can be challenging for nurse educators. With an increase in virtual learning, nurse educators are seeking activities that support engagement and improve critical thinking. Students in virtual classes need learning experiences that support critical thinking and involve appropriate case studies for knowledge application. Stop-action video vignettes as unfolding case studies employ technology that can facilitate critical thinking and active learning in a virtual setting. Stop-action video vignettes can be useful in enhancing student learning through 3 methods: video-based discussion, text-based discussion, and branching matrices. Stop-action video vignettes with unfolding case studies may provide effective and versatile activities to engage students and enhance learning.

Protestation & Piggybacking: Strategic Participation in an ESL Book Group

ABSTRACT Research on making connections to texts has largely explored how making text connections supports reading comprehension. However, less attention has been paid to how readers make text connections through talk and in interaction during text-based discussions. In this study, I explore how text connections were co-constructed between students and their teacher in an English as a Second Language book group. Specifically, I look at the content of the connections one focal student made to the text, and how she used language to share these connections during book group meetings. Drawing on positioning theory and microethnographic discourse analysis, findings illuminate the different affordances and constraints of two participation strategies this student used to make text connections: protestation and piggybacking. This study suggests implications for future work on the complex and creative ways young, linguistically diverse readers participate in literacy discussions.

A Descriptive Case Study of a Literacy Methods Course with a Focus On Practices Related to Text-Based Discussions about Informational Text

This article describes a literacy methods course designed to introduce reading specialist candidates to research-based practices for comprehension instruction. Specifically, this article focuses on a sequence of assignments and class sessions within that course that introduced theoretical perspectives about comprehension processes and how those perspectives inform text-based discussion as a setting for teaching those processes. We describe the course assignments and sessions within three research paradigms: (a) practice-based teacher education pedagogy with a focus on text-based discussion as a core teaching practice, (b) pedagogies of investigation and pedagogies of enactment, and (c) Grossman and colleagues’ (2009) framework for analyzing the teaching of practice, which includes representation, decomposition, and approximation. To the Grossman et al. framework, we propose co-construction as another aspect of teaching practice. By that we mean, candidates’ knowledge and insights can contribute to the process of learning specific practices if they are positioned to share their insights and experiences. Our goal in this article is to provide a descriptive case study that shows how course design, the work of a teacher educator, and the contributions of candidates were orchestrated to support learning about text-based discussion as a context for comprehension instruction.

Exploring the Relationship Between Teacher and Multilingual Student Discourse During Small Group Text-Based Discussions

Few studies investigate how teacher discourse moves relate to subsequent student discourse moves in real-time small-group reading instruction with multilingual learners (MLLs). Grounded in sociocultural theory and classroom discourse research, this study examines how fourth-grade MLLs engage in reasoning discourse during text-based discussions. We argue that by examining reasoning discourse holistically - beyond speaker turns - we can capture teacher-talk moves that facilitate or constrain student reasoning. This examination illuminates discourse practices such as “procedural instruction” and “reference to text,” with important consequences for MLLs. Our study has implications for scholarship analyzing classroom talk and literacy educators facilitating discussions where MLLs engage in sophisticated and complex reasoning discourse.

ANALYSIS OF ONLINE TEXT-BASED DISCUSSIONS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE COMMUNITY OF INQUIRY

This study examines influence of online text-based discussions for secondary school students. It aims to analyze students’ shares and views with the goal of exploring the implications of online synchronous text-based discussions held in the Information Technology and Software lessons. It was carried out as a case study in which 10 discussion sessions were held involving 26 students enrolled in a state secondary school. The case study was chosen because it makes it possible to examine a situation in detail and in depth. The findings were discussed in relation with the “Community of Inquiry” (CoI). It was found that with online synchronous text-based discussions, the students experienced building of meaning or collaboratively verified mutual understanding in line with the predetermined objectives. Online text-based discussions helped achieve a meaningful learning experience through development of social, cognitive and teaching presence. Student-student interactions in formal educational environments facilitated the formation of social presence in the online learning environment. Peer reviews concerning the discussion topics, shared contents and the teacher feedback contributed to the development of the students’ views on the subject. Off-topic or irrelevant shares in the discussion sessions might cause a negative impact on the students.

Research: Preparation and Practice: Preservice English Teachers’ Experiences in Learning to Facilitate Text-Based Discussions

This study explores the experiences of one cohort of secondary English preservice teachers (PSTs) learning to facilitate text-based discussions during a methods course. The authors analyze how the use of a Common Core-aligned instructional text and mixed-reality simulations support PSTs in developing discussion facilitation skills. Implications highlight that teacher educators need to examine their timing of approximations in teacher education programs and explain how simulated environments are intentionally used for PSTs to refine their practice.

Art as Radical Act: Teenagers Revisit Identity, Diversity, and Social Justice Through Contemporary Art

In this article, I share ways in which I have used the artworks of contemporary artists to encourage middle school students to reflect on the concepts of identity, diversity, and social justice. Specifically, I focus on the Comfort Hair series by Yuni Kim Lang, a Michigan-based Korean American artist, and a piece from the Giant series, “Kikito (Tecate, Mexico-USA, 2017),” by French street artist JR. When I shared images of the artworks with the students, the participating teenagers discussed the pieces verbally as well as textually via social media. They then created artworks based on their reflections. Although the quality of student outcomes varied in both the text-based discussions and drawing activity, they clearly showed that the work of Yuni Kim Lang and JR deeply engaged the students in a critical examination of the issues of identity and diversity and sparked their interest in the role of the visual arts as sources of social justice and systematical change.

Discussion in Diverse Middle School Social Studies Classrooms: Promoting All Students’ Participation in the Disciplinary Work of Inquiry

Background/Context: Although calls for rich discussion and argumentation about disciplinary texts and content are frequent, research indicates that in classrooms such discussions are rare. When discussions do happen, few students tend to participate. Purpose/Focus of Study: We look to exemplar teachers’ classrooms where a range of ethnically, racially, linguistically, and academically diverse students participated substantively in discussions throughout social studies inquiries to understand what those teachers do to support broad and substantive student participation in discussion, knowing that discussion promotes student learning. Research Design: Using video recordings of class sessions, we conducted discourse analysis and used case study methods to examine classroom discourse over 20 days of inquiry across an academic year within the context of a larger, design-based research project. Findings: We identify how two teachers build toward and facilitate three types of disciplinary, whole-class, text-based discussions: Sensemaking, Argumentative, and Culminating Argumentative. We analyze the instructional work involved in preparing students for discussions, in situating discussions within a larger context of inquiry, and in facilitating discussions in the moment, focusing on the intellectual work being done when students take extended turns of talk that build on what has been said before. Conclusions/Recommendations: This work contributes a broader understanding of how students’ full participation in disciplinary discussion and argumentation can be supported in the context of inquiry. We draw implications for enabling all students to participate in inquiry, with particular attention to students learning English or needing support for reading complex sources.

Investigation on graduate students\u2019 social presence and social knowledge construction in two online discussion settings

Online discussions have become important educational activities through which collaborative learning and knowledge construction can be facilitated. This study explores the use of two online discussion tools, online discussion board and VoiceThread, for supporting online course discussion activities among a group of graduate students and investigates the differences in the levels of social presence and social knowledge construction in the two discussion settings. Meanwhile, the participants’ posting behaviors and interaction patterns were also examined. Results reveal that the participants contributed more words when using the audio and video features of VoiceThread. Additionally, the graduate students tended to create more contents and demonstrated more social presence behaviors when interacting with others in the VoiceThread discussion platform. However, the participants exhibited fewer social knowledge construction behaviors than they did in the text-based online discussion board.

They Didn't See Us Coming: The Hidden History of Feminism in the Nineties

They Didn't See Us Coming: The Hidden History of Feminism in the Nineties

The Argumentation Rating Tool: Assessing and supporting teacher facilitation and student argumentation during text-based discussions

In this article, we describe the development and validation of the Argumentation Rating Tool (ART), an observational rating scale designed to assess the quality of teacher facilitation and student argumentation during text-based discussions in elementary language arts classrooms. We describe the theoretical and empirical foundations of the ART and report on two studies designed to establish the psychometric properties of the ART and examine its instructional value for teachers. Our findings support the reliability of the ART scores and their intended interpretation, and suggest that the ART has the potential to help teachers learn about facilitation of argumentation.

Identifying HPV vaccine narrative communication needs among parents on social media

Sharing personal experiences is an important communication strategy in public health, including vaccination. This study sought to understand if parents would be receptive to learning about the HPV vaccine from other parent experiences, and what format this information should take on social media. In May 2020, we conducted a qualitative study of six online focus groups across the U.S. with parents (n = 48) of children ages 9–14. Using a text-based discussion format, we discussed their experiences getting information about the HPV vaccine and using Twitter to learn about health topics. Four coders structured qualitative findings by themes including content, delivery, and source of information. An accompanying survey was used to describe participant Twitter use and HPV vaccine knowledge and attitudes. The average participant age was 44.6 years old, 63% were mothers, and the majority had high HPV vaccine knowledge. Parents indicated that they want to hear from other parents about their experiences with the HPV vaccine. However, it was hard to know where to find this information. When experiences are shared on social media, the negative ones are more memorable and more personal. Parents thought Twitter could be an important space to communicate about the HPV vaccine if it was done in a credible, verifiable, and authentic way. Parents want to learn about the HPV vaccine through other parent experiences, especially when this aligns with science supporting the vaccine. Public health and medical communities must embrace this mix of evidence and lived experiences to deliver and discuss health information.

HOW TO NOT DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY: USING VIDEO-BASED DISCUSSIONS TO ENHANCE STUDENT SOCIAL PRESENCE IN AN ONLINE COURSE

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a video-based discussion learning exercise to consider in addition to the traditional online discussion board format. While the traditional written interaction between students in an online classroom is beneficial, the mass adoption of video technology, along with limitations associated with online discussion boards, led to the development of a new way to facilitate group communication using video communication technology. Utilizing the theory of social presence, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this video discussion format, allowing students to virtually “get to know” each other and collaborate in an environment that more closely resembles a traditional face-to-face classroom experience. Following multiple trials of online synchronous video discussions across both small and large class sections, results demonstrate students’ preferences for the video-based discussion format over the traditional, text-based discussion boards supported by their institution’s learning management system. Findings from two studies support that the video-based discussions enhance learning outcomes and foster a sense of classroom community.