THE ROLE OF ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUMS IN
SUPPORTING LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
A Dissertation submitted by
Jacquelin McDonald, MEd (USQ), Grad Dip Professional Communication (USQ),
BEd (Griffith), BA (LaTrobe), TPTC (LaTrobe)
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Education
Faculty of Education, University of Southern Queensland
Certification of Dissertation
I certify that the ideas, experimental work, results, analyses, and conclusions reported in this dissertation are entirely my own effort, except where otherwise
acknowledged. I also certify that the work is original and has not been previously submitted for any other award, except where otherwise acknowledged.
________________________ __________________
Signature of Candidate Date
ENDORSEMENT
________________________ __________________ Signature of Supervisor/s Date
________________________ __________________
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following people for their advice, support and
encouragement that sustained me as I progressed through my doctoral journey:
• The participants who allowed me to share their learning journey and exemplified the intellectually challenging and engaging nature of online learning and
teaching.
• My principal supervisor Honorary Professor Glen Postle, who guided,
challenged, encouraged and provided insights and resources that added depth to this research.
• My co-supervisor Dr Kris Martin-McDonald, whose knowledge and enthusiasm for research, and insightful comments progressed and sustained my research. Also Associate Don Rice who stepped in as a critical reviewer in the final stages of this study when Kris moved to Canada.
• My colleague and fellow traveller on the doctoral journey, Dr Shirley Reushle, who has shared the joys and challenges of life as a parent, full time worker and doctoral student, and to other colleagues and friends at the University of Southern Queensland who provided encouragement and support that sustained my
progress.
• My editor, Juliet Middleton, for proof reading, detecting and correcting the presentation of the text to conform with standard publishing conventions
Table of Contents
List of Tables i
List of Figures ii
Abstract iii
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1Background to the research 1
1.2Significance of the research 2
1.3Context of the study 6
1.4Research problem, questions and key assumptions 10
1.5Method - grounded theory 11
1.6Strengths, limitations and key assumptions 12
1.7Structure of the study 14
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1Introduction 15
2.2 The implementation of online learning in higher education 15 2.2.1 Online learning and teaching in higher education 17 2.2.2 Online learning through computer mediated communication 19 2.2.3 Research in learning through computer mediated
Communication 22
2.3 Theories and principles informing online learning and teaching 24 2.3.1 Behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism 25 2.3.2 Social constructivism and the construction of knowledge 29
2.3.3 Reflective practice 31
2.3.4 Interaction as a key learning principle 33 2.3.5 Collaborative learning and online communities of practice 35 2.3.6 Summary of theories and principles informing online learning 36
2.4 Instructional design for online learning 37 2.4.1 Background of instructional design theory and practice 38 2.4.2 Applying the Mayes learning cycle 40
2.5 Conclusion 43
Chapter 3: Method
3.1 Introduction 44
3.2 The research rationale and method 44
3.2.1 Rationale for research focus 44
3.2.2 The research questions 45
3.3.3 Rationale for selection of grounded theory 46 3.3 Context, participants and ethical considerations 48
3.3.1 Context 48
3.3.2 Participants 50
3.3.3 Ethical considerations 50
3.5 The process of building grounded theory 53 3.5.1 Phase 1 - identifying research issues and context 56
3.5.2 Phase 2 - data collection 57
3.5.3 Phase 3 - data analysis 59 3.5.4 Phase 4 - literature comparison 68 3.6 Reflection on the grounded theory approach 69
3.7 Summary 70
Chapter 4: Findings
4.1 Introduction 71
4.2 Data analysis - emerging codes and categories 71 4.2.1 Microanalysis - Open and axial coding 72
4.2.2 Constant comparison 76
4.2.3 Memos 80
4.2.4 Selective coding and refinement of categories 80
4.2.5 Theoretical sampling 80
4.2.6 Core category and supporting categories 81 4.2.7 Saturation of the categories 81
4.2.8 Validation of codes and categories 82 4.3 Comparison of categories with relevant literature 83 4.4 Findings and interpretations - the teaching role 84
4.4.1 The teaching role - structuring learning 85 4.4.2 The teaching role - facilitating learning community 91 4.4.3 The teaching role - promoting cognitive learning 95 4.4.4 The teaching role - concluding comments 98 4.5 Findings and interpretations - building a learning community 99 4.6 Findings and interpretations - generating knowledge 108 4.7 The core category - Interaction as a facilitator of learning 118
4.8 Conclusion 121
Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions and Implications
5.1 Introduction 122
5.2 Review of findings 123
5.2.1 Principles and guidelines for the design and implementation
of online forums 126
5.3 A framework for designing and implementing interactive online forums 127 5.4 Pre-active course design and recommendations for online educators 128
5.4.1 The pre-active teaching role in building a learning
community 131
5.4.2 The pre-active teaching role to facilitate knowledge
generation 139 5.5 Implementation and facilitation recommendations for online educators 150
5.5.1 The interactive teaching role in building a learning
community 150
5.5.2 The interactive teaching role to facilitate knowledge
generation 159
5.6.2 Learning and teaching implications 176
5.6.3 Tensions created by the introduction of e-learning 181
5.7 Significance of the research 183
5.8 Future research 185
5.9 Conclusion 188
References 189
Appendices 213
Appendix A: Letter: Consent of participants 214
i
List of tables
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Table 2.1 Defining approaches to learning – perspectives, assumptions
and pedagogy 37
Chapter 3: Method
Table 3.1 The Process of building grounded theory 54
Chapter 4: Findings
Table 4.1 Initial categories and frequency of codes from shared
forum and assessment items 74
Table 4:2 The teacher and learning community categories, subcategories
and examples of discourse 77
Table 4.3 Generation knowledge: subcategories and examples of discourse 78 Table 4.4 Supporting categories and subcategories 82 Table 4.5 Responses to student- and teacher-initiated threads: Reflective
forum 1 99
Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions and Implications
Table 5.1 A framework for designing and implementing interactive
online forums 128
Table 5.2 Operationalising the principles underlying the building
of a learning community 138 Table 5.3 Evaluation criteria for facilitating an online/class discussion 144 Table 5.4 Operationalising the framework for designing interactive
online learning 149
Table 5.5 Operationalising the framework for designing interactive
online learning 158
Table 5.6 Knowledge generation sub-categories 159 Table 5.7 Operationalising the framework for designing interactive
ii
List of figures
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Figure 2.1 The (Re)conceptualisation Cycle (Mayes, 2002) 42
Chapter 4: Findings Figure 4.1 Frequency of postings in each of the initial categories 75
Figure 4.2 The core category and supporting categories 81
Figure 4.3 The teaching role 84
Figure 4.4 Generating knowledge category and subcategories 108
Figure 4.5 Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) phase definitions 109
Figure 4.6: Comparison of categories 120 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions and Implications Figure 5.1 The core and supporting categories 124
Figure 5.2 The (Re)conceptualisation Cycle (2002) 136
Figure 5.3 The (Re)conceptualisation Cycle (2003) 136
Figure 5.4 Practical inquiry model 147
iii
Abstract
This study investigates the contribution of asynchronous, online discussion forums to student learning in an Australian, online postgraduate course. The study of online forums is an emerging field of research and therefore calls for a methodology suited to the context where knowledge and application is still at the exploration stage. Grounded theory – an open, qualitative methodology – was chosen as an appropriate method to explore the nature of the interaction in the online forums.
The grounded theory analysis of the data revealed that participant interaction did generate instructional design knowledge across a range of conceptual levels. The study also showed that interaction was effectively facilitated through the use of asynchronous text-based forums, and that participants used the online interaction to build a learning community and to generate knowledge within the learning
community. These findings, although from a small case study, help to justify the widespread use of discussion forums in higher education.
The research findings revealed that participant interaction was a key component that enabled the teachers and learners to build and participate in an online learning community. The subcategories that emerged from participant interaction – teaching role, building a learning community and generating knowledge – were all
contributing categories to the core category: interaction as a facilitator of learning.
Research revealed that the teacher had an important role in managing and facilitating the interactive online learning environment, through both design and implementation of the course. The teaching role was complex and integral in the building of a
learning community and facilitating knowledge generation.
One outcome of particular interest for online researchers is that most of the categories that emerged from the data in this study strongly correlated to the
iv of the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University. The grounded theory approach in this study generated similar categories to CIDER and IAM, despite the research being conducted without any reference to categories existing in the
literature. The correlation between the CIDER, IAM and my categories provides credibility to each set of research outcomes. Also, it can be argued that the
correlation between findings of independently conducted research studies means that these categories can be more confidently generalised to other online contexts. While the CIDER categories are now being applied in a number of empirical studies, I suggest that further research in a range of contexts is required to confirm whether these are “the” important variables in online interaction.
The grounded theory approach generated categories unique to this research and provided a framework for the design and implementation of interactive online learning. From these findings, the literature, and personal experience,
recommendations are presented in regard to design principles, a design framework, and implementation strategies and tactics. The implications of online learning for institutional policy and practice are outlined, and a reflection on the online teaching role is presented – one that challenges some existing conceptions of a diminished role for online teachers. The debate surrounding the role of teaching in learning-centred pedagogy is an important discussion for higher education.
Keywords: online learning and teaching, interaction, computer-mediated
