Enhancing the facilitation of online groups in higher education: a review of the literature on face-to-face and online group-facilitation

Supporting digital engagement: An evaluation of the use of a Guide for effective development and facilitation of online discussion boards

“…Synchronous online discussion board facilitation requires a teacher and social presence that promotes the importance of person-centred opportunities for learning (Garner & Rouse, 2016;Thomas & Thorpe, 2019). Effective engagement of learners requires online facilitators to establish the culture and tone of the group by maintaining an authentic presence that can enable students' to be motivated to develop a willingness to participate (Mokoena, 2013;Thomas & Thorpe, 2019).…”

“…Synchronous online discussion board facilitation requires a teacher and social presence that promotes the importance of person-centred opportunities for learning (Garner & Rouse, 2016;Thomas & Thorpe, 2019). Effective engagement of learners requires online facilitators to establish the culture and tone of the group by maintaining an authentic presence that can enable students' to be motivated to develop a willingness to participate (Mokoena, 2013;Thomas & Thorpe, 2019). When positive group dynamics develop there is opportunity for students to learn effectively, so the intangible qualities of the facilitator to guide student learners cannot be underestimated (Mokoena, 2014;Thomas & Thorpe, 2019).…”

“…The Guide was originally designed to enhance facilitator skills, and so comparatively high use of this chapter of the Guide was enlightening. In addition to facilitation, the design of online discussion boards is known to be important in promoting discussion as an effective and engaging learning tool (Thomas & Thorpe, 2019). Welldesigned asynchronous discussions have been found to enhance student engagement and learning (Ainscough et al, 2019;Dixson, 2010).…”

“…Online discussion boards may or may not be facilitated by academic staff. Facilitated asynchronous online discussion (AOD) boards are known to provide a flexible, constructive form of professional learning to support student learning (Thomas & Thorpe, 2019) and enable currency of unit content. AOD boards are known to support active learning and higherorder thinking, yet active engagement in online discussions by students is commonly not observed (Hew et al, 2010).…”

“…Previous studies have explored perspectives of educators, facilitators and students (Evans et al, 2019). These studies have consistently related recognition of satisfaction to one or more aspects of online discussion, including the structure of discussion forums, the level and type of interaction between educators and students and the quality of the discussion content (Ghadirian et al, 2017;Ladyshewsky, 2013;Thomas & Thorpe, 2019;Waters, 2012). Clear purpose of a discussion board is essential for engagement with identifiable student outcomes (Gregory, 2015;Steen, 2015).…”