Full metadata
Title
Asynchronous discussion board facilitation and rubric use in a blended learning environment
Description
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of instructor response prompts and rubrics on students' performance in an asynchronous discussion-board assignment, their learning achievement on an objective-type posttest, and their reported satisfaction levels. Researchers who have studied asynchronous computer-mediated student discussion transcripts have found evidence of mostly mid-level critical thinking skills, with fewer examples limited to lower or higher order thinking skill demonstration. Some researchers suggest that instructors may facilitate increased demonstration of higher-order critical thinking skills within asynchronous discussion-board activities. However, there is little empirical evidence available to compare the use of different external supports to facilitate students' critical thinking skills performance and learning achievement in blended learning environments. Results of the present study indicate that response prompts and rubrics can affect students' discussion performance, learning, and satisfaction ratings. The results, however, are complex, perhaps mirroring the complexity of instructor-led online learning environments. Regarding discussion board performance, presenting students with a rubric tended to yield higher scores on most aspects that is, on overall performance, as well as depth and breadth of performance, though these differences were not significant. In contrast, instructor prompts tended to yield lower scores on aspects of discussion board performance. On breadth, in fact, this main effect difference was significant. Interactions also indicated significant differences on several aspects of discussion board performance, in most cases indicating that the combination of rubric and prompt was detrimental to scores. The learning performance on the quiz showed, again, the effectiveness of rubrics, with students who received the rubric earning significantly higher scores, and with no main effects or interactions for instructor prompts. Regarding student satisfaction, again, the picture is complicated. Results indicated that, in some instances, the integration of prompts resulted in lower satisfaction ratings, particularly in the areas of students' perceptions of the amount of work required, learning in the partially online format, and student-to-student interaction. Based on these results, design considerations to support rubric use and explicit feedback in asynchronous discussions to support student learning are proposed.
Date Created
2012
Contributors
- Giacumo, Lisa (Author)
- Savenye, Wilhelmina (Thesis advisor)
- Nelson, Brian (Committee member)
- Legacy, Jane (Committee member)
- Bitter, Gary (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
- Educational technology
- instructional design
- Teacher Education
- asynchronous discussion board
- critical thinking
- guidance
- prompts
- quasi-experimental
- rubric
- Competency-based education--Electronic discussion groups.
- Competency-based education
- Prompting (Education)--Electronic discussion groups.
- Prompting (Education)
- Critical thinking--Electronic discussion groups.
- critical thinking
Resource Type
Extent
x, 129 p. : ill. (some col.)
Language
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.15982
Statement of Responsibility
by Lisa Giacumo
Description Source
Viewed on Feb. 10, 2015
Level of coding
full
Note
Partial requirement for: Ph. D., Arizona State University, 2012
Note type
thesis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-88)
Note type
bibliography
Field of study: Educational technology
System Created
- 2013-01-17 06:40:30
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:43:42
- 3 years ago
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