Investigating Cognitive Learning Patterns in an Asynchronous Online Discussion: A Directed Qualitative Content Analysis

• In Event: Discussing Online Discussions

Abstract

Few studies revealed the students’ cognitive learning performance in the Asynchronous Online Discussion (AOD) activities of distance education. This study employed a directed qualitative content analysis to investigate 1) whether the revised Bloom’s taxonomy scheme can describe students’ cognitive learning performance well in an AOD activity, 2) how it can be optimized for a better adaptation to an online environment, and 3) what cognitive learning patterns can be found under an optimized scheme. The results proved that with a small degree of optimization the revised Bloom’s taxonomy scheme could still help the researchers observe students’ cognitive learning performance from a very comprehensive perspective. The optimized scheme helped the authors identified four cognitive learning patterns in the AOD.

Authors

• Tianxiao Yang, Syracuse University

• Zhijuan Niu, Syracuse University

• Jing Lei, Syracuse University