Instructor and Student Participation in Online Discussion Boards as Predictors of Student Outcomes

• In Event: Exploring Online Discussions

Abstract

There is a growing body of literature on best uses of discussion boards (DBs) in online courses. However, it is not yet clear what uses of the discussion tool are associated with student learning outcomes. This study uses student and instructor variables in DBs to address three questions: (1) Controlling for prior ability, what impact do instructor and student behaviors in DBs have on student achievement? (2) Do the observed effects of DB participation predict achievement in a similar subsequent course? (3) Are there substantive differences in the nature of posts made by high- and low-achieving students? Results are based on 6,600+ discussion posts produced by 200+ students in 10 sections of two religion courses over three academic years.

Authors

• Marlowe Mager, Haywood Community College

• Steven Talmadge Heulett, Haywood Community College