Brad Ovenell-Carter’s Master’s Thesis

Abstract:
More universities are offering online instruction for students though we know little about effective online learning. Some have found online instruction increases student participation while others have reported that students prefer the traditional face-to-face format. This study of gifted education graduate students follows the expectation that online students ought to have time to be more thoughtful with online course interactions as compared to the time-constrained interactions in a face-to-face course. Researchers evaluated students’ thinking levels (as per Bloom’s Taxonomy) in the online discussion forums required by a graduate course in gifted education. Results indicate there was no eelationship between the level of the prompt and the level of the responses. Higher level prompts did not necessarily generate higher level responses. The research-developed Rubric for Evaluation of Online Discussions can be used both as an instructional guide and as an evaluation rubric to assess the level of online discussions.

Abstract:
Research in collaborative learning has supported the hypothesis that dialogue between peers and between peers and teachers facilitates learning by the peer participants in the dialogue. Examples of these dialogues show dozens of turns (individual utterances by participants) in a single learning session. In contrast, measurements of interaction from computer-supported collaborative learning environments show that on-line dialogue looks much different, with an average of approximately one posting or less per student per week. Measurements of learning in these environments do suggest learning is occurring, but presumably, not based on the same kind of dialogue described in research on face-to-face collaboration. Some possible explanations for how the learning is arising in CSCL environments are offered based on the Vicarious Learning Project (Lee, Dineen, McKendree, & Mayes, 1999; McKendree, Stenning, Mayes, Lee, & Cox, 1998). We believe that much of the learning in CSCL environments occurs from the observation of the dialogue, the reflection induced by the potential of submitting, and at least in the cases described, the interaction between the face-to-face and on-line environments.

Abstract:
This study analyzed discussion in an online conference that supplemented class discussion using an instructional method called the starter-wrapper technique within a traditional graduate level educational psychology course. Various quantitative measures were recorded to compare instructor and student participation rates. In addition, Henri’s (1992) model for content analysis of computer-mediated
communication was employed to qualitatively analyze the electronic discourse. Using this model, five key variables were examined: (1) student participation rates; (2) electronic interaction patterns; (3) social cues within student messages; (4) cognitive and metacognitive components of student messages; and (5) depth of processing—surface or deep—within message posting. Transcript content analyses showed that, while students tended to post just the one required comment per week in the conference, their messages were lengthy, cognitively deep, embedded with peer references, and indicative of a student oriented environment. Moreover, students were using high level cognitive skills such as inferencing and judgment as well as metacognitive strategies related to reflecting on experience and self-awareness. Weekly conference activity graphs revealed that student electronic comments became more interactive over time,
but were highly dependent on the directions of discussion starter. To better understand the impact of electronic conferencing discourse, modifications to Henri’s model as well as qualitative research suggestions were offered.

Abstract:
An investigation was carried out to determine the extent to which evidence of collaborative learning could be identified in students’ textual interactions in an online learning environment. The literature on collaborative learning has identified a range of behaviors that characterize successful collaborative learning in face-to-face situations. Evidence of these behaviors was sought in the messages that were posted by students as they interacted in online work groups. Analysis of students’ contributions reveals that there is substantial evidence of collaboration, but that there are differences between conventional face-to-face instances of collaborative learning and what occurs in an asynchronous, networked environment.

Stephen Brookfield has a chapter in the Skillful Teacher about dialogue and online communities. Don’t know if it fits exactly, but it might be useful.