Facilitating asynchronous discussions in learning communities: the impact of moderation strategies

Abstract

A facilitator or moderator is often responsible for supporting processes and their progress in learning communities. In this article we present an approach for supporting moderators of asynchronous processes in learning communities. This approach follows the socio-technical perspective: it includes a theory-based development of moderator tasks and the technical features designed to support these tasks. Starting with relevant work in this area, we describe our approach to moderator support in the collaborative learning environment KOLUMBUS 2. In a qualitative study, a professional moderator facilitated the discussion processes of a group of 12 students based on KOLUMBUS 2. The moderator used different methods and varying levels of participation intervention. The study showed that different intervention strategies led to different levels of student participation and different successes in finding common results at the end of the discussions. Suggestions for the design of technical features are also made

The effect of assessment on the outcomes of asynchronous online discussion as perceived by instructors

“…Improved student communications skills is often claimed as a potential benefit of asynchronous online discussion (Birch & Volkov, 2007;Kienle & Ritterskamp, 2007;MacKinnon, 2000), but there has been little evidence that this potential benefit has been realised. In this study, the instructor ratings of the achievement of improved student communication skills were significantly higher for the assessed discussion group than for the unassessed discussion group (5.49 versus 4.65, t(41) = 2.056, p=0.046).…”

“…Zhang, Zhao, Zhou and Nunamaker (2004) argue that within an online environment, we need to 'integrate appropriate pedagogical methods, to enhance system interactivity and personalization, to better engage learners'. Although current studies make significant contributions to the body of knowledge, there is a clear and consistent call for empirical evidence that clearly demonstrates the conclusions often hinted at in many of the studies (Alavi, Marakas & Yoo, 2002;Arbaugh & Hiltz, 2005;Dennen, 2008;Kienle & Ritterskamp, 2007;McKenzie & Murphy, 2000;Schellens & Valcke, 2006).…”

“…The literature suggests that the acts of writing and reading improve student communication skills (Applebee, 1984;Kienle & Ritterskamp, 2007;MacKinnon, 2000), though the connection between the online discussion activities and the measurement of the improvement of communication skills has not been extensively examined. A recent study (Birch & Volkov, 2007) asked 70 distance education students if they felt that the online discussion contributed to the development of their communication skills and 85% reported that it did.…”

Social design feedback: evaluations with users in online ad-hoc groups

“…Research on online social networks indicates that visible feedback, in particular others' comments, increases the motivation to make future contributions [37][38][39][40]. In the field of online learning communities, moderators' comments and summaries have been found to strengthen collaboration [41]. Likewise, in the field of online political debate, it has been found that the presence of an active moderator may increase the quality of the debate [42].…”

Οι Διαδικτυακές Κοινότητες Μάθησης Και Κατευθύνσεις Για Τη Βιωσιμότητά Τους

“…Εάν η th International Conference in Open & Distance Learning -November 2013, Athens, Greece -PROCEEDINGS Volume 2 -Section A: theoretical papers, original research and scientific articles 97 κατασκευή της γνώσης είναι μια συμμετοχική διαδικασία, η οποία περιλαμβάνει μερικούς μαθητές, ο κύριος ρόλος του Διαχειριστή είναι να υποστηρίζει και να εμπνέει τις διαδικασίες επικοινωνίας για την απόκτηση της γνώσης, καταλήγοντας σε νέα καθήκοντα για τον ίδιο (Kienle, 2006 . Kienle & Ritterskamp, 2007). Ακόμη, ο ρόλος του διαχειριστή είναι η ενθαρρύνση της αλληλεπίδρασης μεταξύ των μελών της κοινότητας και παράλληλα η δημιουργία υποστηρικτικού και άνετου περιβάλλοντος για τη μεταξύ τους συζήτηση (Winograd, 2003).…”