Abstract
There are two keys to effective asynchronous discussions in the online classroom: 1) students are posting substantial, meaningful contributions; and 2) interactions are frequent enough to produce ongoing discussion. Effective discussions are based on an interactive dialogue between participants in which each posting produces sufficient thought to warrant a reaction. As such, it is not simply an issue of the quantity of postings, but demands a level of quality in the student contributions as well. This study examined the impact of identifying (and publicly marking) substantial asynchronous discussion postings within the context of the ongoing weekly discussion. A between groups comparison examined the frequency and quality of interactions when integrating formative (during the active discussion period) or summative (after the discussion period has ended) evaluation of students' contributions to the asynchronous discussion. Presentation highlights instructional strategies for fostering effective asynchronous discussions in the online classroom.
Location
Room 1005
Recommended Citation
Cross, Ted and Mandernach, Jean, "Fostering Effective Asynchronous Discussions in the Online Classroom: Impact of Formative Feedback" (2013). SoTL Commons Conference. 14.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2013/14
Fostering Effective Asynchronous Discussions in the Online Classroom: Impact of Formative Feedback
Room 1005
There are two keys to effective asynchronous discussions in the online classroom: 1) students are posting substantial, meaningful contributions; and 2) interactions are frequent enough to produce ongoing discussion. Effective discussions are based on an interactive dialogue between participants in which each posting produces sufficient thought to warrant a reaction. As such, it is not simply an issue of the quantity of postings, but demands a level of quality in the student contributions as well. This study examined the impact of identifying (and publicly marking) substantial asynchronous discussion postings within the context of the ongoing weekly discussion. A between groups comparison examined the frequency and quality of interactions when integrating formative (during the active discussion period) or summative (after the discussion period has ended) evaluation of students' contributions to the asynchronous discussion. Presentation highlights instructional strategies for fostering effective asynchronous discussions in the online classroom.
