A conceptual framework for assessing interaction quality in online discussion forums

The use of discussion forums in education has long been a hot topic in tertiary education. Discussion forums’ activities help learners to share and gain knowledge from each other. However, setting up discussion forums does not ensure that learners interact with each other actively and grading of discussion forum participation is done to ensure qualitative learner participation. Currently, a major focus has been put onto the better use of discussion forums, but the way in which quality of participation can be evaluated has yet to be adequately investigated. This paper presents a conceptual model, based on an extensive review of current literature in related areas, as a way forward in looking at the assessment of quality in online discussion forums. The main benefits of the proposed framework are towards facilitators, as a way to assess learners’ online contributions, while students may use it to understand what is expected of them as participants in online discussion forums

Engaging and effective asynchronous online discussion forums

Discussion is usually considered a powerful tool for the development of pedagogical skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and reflection. In the last few years, an online asynchronous discussion forum has become an integral part of teaching and learning in tertiary education. However, there are considerable challenges involved in designing discussion forum for learning and teaching arrangements that can support desired learning outcomes. The study analysed the factors that affect the level of the student participation in the online discussion forums with emphases on some of the critical issues that should be taken into account when designing online discussions forums that can support desired learning outcomes. We show that the course instructor roles and level of participations in the discussion forum particularly determines the overall level of discussion among the learning communities.

Online learning environment : taxonomy of asynchronous online discussion forums

Due to its perceived benefits, asynchronous discussion forums have become progressively popular in higher education. The ultimate goal of developing an asynchronous discussion forum is to create an online learning environment that will achieve high levels of learning. This paper reviews the exiting literature and develops taxonomy of the asynchronous discussion forums with the aims of increasing the understanding and awareness of various types of asynchronous discussion forums. The taxonomy will help increase the online course designers' ability to design more effective learning experiences for student success and satisfaction. It will also help researchers to understand the features of the various asynchronous discussion forums.

Analysis of asynchronous online discussion forums for collaborative learning

Online discussion forums are well suited for collaborative learning systems. Much of the currently available research indicates that effectively designed collaborative learning systems motivate and enhance learning experiences of the participants which in turn lead to enhanced learning outcomes. This paper develops taxonomy of the asynchronous online discussion forums with the aims of increasing the understanding and awareness of various types of asynchronous discussion forums. The taxonomy is framed by constructivist pedagogical principles of asynchronous online discussion forum. The key attributes of online discussions and the factors influencing the discussion forum’s design are identified. The taxonomy will help increase the online course designers’ ability to design more effective learning experiences for student success and satisfaction. It will also help researchers to understand the various features of the asynchronous discussion forums. The article concludes with implications for pedagogy and suggestions for the direction of future theoretical and empirical research.

A good chat - are online forums fit for PLT? - a review

The effectiveness of asynchronous Online Discussion Forums (ODF) as a teaching medium in Practical Legal Training (PLT) is dependent on factors affecting student satisfaction with the learning task.
A literature review was undertaken as part of a proposed research project to: (a) investigate the relationship between the use of ODF as a teaching medium in PLT, students’ learning behaviours, and student satisfaction; (b) ascertain students’ perceptions of their own learning behaviours during the ODF activities and to compare those perceptions with learning behaviours identified in the Community of Inquiry Framework; and (c) make recommendations that might improve the fit between the use of ODFs, positive learning behaviours, and student satisfaction. The research project is still underway.
The review and the proposed study is framed by a constructivist learner-centred approach informed by the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and others, together with Marzano and Kendall’s ‘New Taxonomy of Education Objectives’, and the ‘Community of Inquiry Framework’ described by Archer, Garrison, Arbaugh, Gunawardena and others.
A search for articles with abstracts including the terms ‘satisfaction’ and ‘online’ on ERIC and online peer-reviewed journals during September 2010 produced 76 relevant articles for this review; these disclosed that factors involving student satisfaction with ODFs as a teaching medium include: students’ contexts; students’ perceptions of self-efficacy and of the importance and relevance of the learning task; learning and personality styles; technological self-efficacy; student-student and lecturer-student interactions; flexible learning environments; instructional design; online learning management systems; and the blend of online and face-to-face instruction delivery.
These factors are likely to be significant for framing the proposed research and the design, implementation, and evaluation of instruction involving online forums in practical legal training.

The realm of the game geek : supporting creativity in an online community

This paper explores the importance of online communities designed to support the creativity of tertiary students enrolled in Computer Science studies. Online discussion forums provide university students with a supportive and nurturing environment and a community where they can share knowledge and ideas. The authors draw on findings derived from a study of first year Computer Science students enrolled in a Games Design and Development unit. Of particular interest is the ways in which the participants develop and control the environment in order to enhance their own creative expression.

Student use of an assessed online discussion space

The dataset contains quantitative information concerning university students' usage of online discussion areas and the impact of the students' participation on their final results.

The data includes the following categories of information:
• student age (whole years at the end of semester);
• student gender (male or female);
• student normal mode of study (on-campus or off-campus);
• student course of study (BTech, BE or other);
• student prior general academic performance (measured at Deakin University by the weighted average mark [WAM]);
• the total number of discussion messages read (or at least opened) by the student;
• the total number of new/initial discussion postings made by the student;
• the total number of follow-up/reply discussion postings made by the student; and
• the final unit mark obtained by the student.

Tweet reach : a research protocol for using Twitter to increase information exchange in people with communication disabilities

Objective: To (a) outline the background to research evaluating Twitter use by people with severe physical and communication disabilities participating actively in online communication forums for increasing information exchange and (b) illustrate a range of potential methods that might be applied in furthering research on the use of social media by people with developmental and acquired communication disabilities. Methods: The literature on communication disabilities, augmentative and alternative communication, and social media research informed the rationale for and design of three studies investigating the use of Twitter by people with communication disabilities. Results: To date, there is little information in the literature about how people with a range of communication disabilities might use Twitter to increase their access to information and help them to feel knowledgeable and in control of their own lives. In this paper, three studies are proposed to investigate the use of Twitter by people with communication disabilities.

I’m not like everybody else - online forums and PLT

This paper reports some of the findings from a study undertaken as part of the research component for a master of professional education and training degree.
The objectives of the study were to investigate students’ perceptions and satisfaction regarding CMC activities, including community of inquiry framework elements and self-system factors, and to frame recommendations that might improve the use of online discussions as a teaching medium in practical legal training.
A literature review identified themes arising from previous studies concerning the use of CMC in adult learning. The elements of the Community of Inquiry framework and Marzano and Kendall’s concept of students’ Self System were used as reference points to frame the study.
An online questionnaire was used to collect data from students who had undertaken online discussion activities as part of their practical legal training in the professional responsibility in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The data included the students’ opinions, attitudes and perceptions regarding the online discussions. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics that tended to indicate the participants were satisfied with online discussions as teaching medium for PLT. Tests for association between certain variables conducted using Barnard’s Exact Test disclosed 30 possible associations.
This paper focuses on part of the findings, namely associations between the participants’ attributes and contexts, student-student interactions, and satisfaction with the learning experience.
Further research specifically concerning the design and delivery of blended programs of practical legal training would be beneficial. Further study involving quantitative and qualitative methods and regarding the use of computer-mediated communications in PLT is recommended.

Organizational factors in the diffusion of an industry standard: implementing an online documentation system for Australian exporters

At present, governments in many countries are actively engaged in the development of electronic trading and certification standards to enable the smooth operation of export markets. Standards and their usability underpin confidence in the operations of markets and their effective functioning. In institutional markets, an important role for government agencies lies in developing the initial specifications for standards for interoperable systems. Once these specifications are accepted, governments can then facilitate the eventual diffusion of a standard to the B2B marketplace. Acceptance of an industry standard can determine demand, which defines the viability of that market. In this paper, we describe an initiative by a government agency, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), in developing EXDOC, a standard for export documentation and the role that AQIS played in its implementation and diffusion. Our case study illustrates a successfully facilitated B2G implementation. It demonstrates how a standard can be supported and promulgated for the effective functioning of markets in the transition from manual to online export documentation. Once the overarching specifications for related industries have been established and diffused by government, opportunities arise for private sector markets to develop across these industries. Government agencies can promote the effective operation of standards for electronic markets. The EXDOC implementation and its iterations provide an exemplar of active engagement in the development of electronic trading and certification standards for an institutional market. Its successful diffusion provides a model of the implementation process for other export sectors and agencies.

Facilitating online privacy on eCommerce websites: an Australian experience

As traditional organizations using their websites for eCommerce transactions are increasing at an exponential rate, privacy concerns of users are also on the rise. To gain an insight into these concerns, existing policies and legislation, we conducted the research reported in this paper, in 2003. To augment the literature synthesis, a multiple case study analysis was conducted, based on six large organisations in Australia. Our research findings suggested that in the Australian context, an online privacy policy (OPP) on the website which complies with the Privacy Act, supported by few best practices are reasonably able to address online privacy concerns. However, these findings are restricted in time frame, indicative and relevant in the Australian context. Nevertheless, we hope to stimulate academic research enquiry and discussion forums through this research.

Students' use of online academic resources within a course web site and its relationship with their course performance : an exploratory study

Prior research suggests that the online provision of course materials can have a positive impact on students' examination performance. This study adds to the existing literature by investigating the link between the students' use of different forms of online course provisions and tools (i.e. course materials, links and discussion forums) and the final examination performance of students in a second year undergraduate accounting course. Findings indicate a positive association between the number of online files viewed by students, the number of online discussion messages posted by them, and their examination performance. A significant relationship was not found between examination performance and the amount of time spent on the subject's web site, the viewing of links to web sites that were not core to the course being studied, or the passive reading of discussion messages. These findings support the benefits to be gained by providing course materials online and encouraging students to access the materials posted and to participate actively in online discussion.

Online peer mentoring with pre-service teachers : a learning experience

In 2010, 34 pre-service teachers at Deakin University were invited to use Web 2.0 technologies to support practicum in rural and regional schools. Students in their final year of the Bachelor of Education Primary course were given access to an online forum, a ‗ning‘, to facilitate development of mentoring relationships within a community of peers. Access to the ning was presented as an optional extra available only to students undertaking their professional experience in rural and regional settings. Based on the work of Le Cornu (2005), mentoring was framed as a collaborative and collegial arrangement through which participants could hone the interpersonal and critical reflection skills crucial to practicum. A ning was selected as it: 1) allowed the creation of a closed, protected social network with customised options, and 2) requires little technological skills and investment of time from participants in terms of setting up a profile and participating in the online community. These features seemed to make it an ideal platform for pre-service teachers to analyse and reflect on professional experience. However, the small pre-service cohort did not choose to access the site. This unexpected outcome seems to challenge contemporary discourses about the current generation‘s attitudes to web based technology. It also highlights the importance of coupling use of template-based online tools, such as the ning, with awareness of Bourdieu‘s (1977) social capital to ensure uptake. In capturing the learnings from the project and systematically reviewing relevant literature, this paper provides a set of recommendations for conceptualising and engaging pre-service teachers in the use of online forums.