Running Head: DISCUSSION FORUM PARTICIPATION: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Discussion Forum Participation: Research Proposal Jennifer A. Stieda University of British Columbia

DISCUSSION FORUM PARTICIPATION: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Discussion Forum Participation: Research Proposal Introduction There is a wealth of research about online discussion forums dealing with discussion forum participation and achievement. However, most of it is based on university level students and courses. Although some similarities no doubt exist, we cannot easily generalize research about adults participation in online discussion forums to that of teenagers. Likewise, university students and courses are not the equivalent of those at the secondary level. I believe secondary students need more scaffolding and nurturing from an online tutor than university students (Weiner, 2003). As an aspiring instructional designer and a teacher of online courses, I am interested in developing online learning environments which generate meaningful and lasting learning experiences through a constructivist approach. Since discussion forums appear to provide a platform for cultivating social interaction and negotiation, it is important to understand the mechanisms of this educational tool (Driscoll, 2005). The literature points to a relationship between participation in online discussion forums and achievement, at least at the university level. I would like to further examine how participation and achievement are related at the secondary level. It would appear that frequency alone does not guarantee good grades (Beaudoin, 2002; Davies & Graff, 2005; Nagel, Blignaut & Cronj, 2009). Given that, what kinds of participation improve achievement? Is achievement related to participating in active discussion of on-task topics and/or off-task topics? If so, how can online courses be structured to foster this kind of participation? The relationship between social interaction and student achievement has not been explored in the literature. It does appear that a safe, scaffolded, social environment is important to

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promoting participation in online discussion forums (Chen & Wang, 2009; Lapadat, 2007; Lipponen, Rahikainen, Lallimo & Hakkarainen, 2003; Pena-Shaff & Nicholls, 2004). If social interaction which fosters a feeling of community is important to student success, then this must be considered in the design of online courses. The purpose of this study is to add weight to the limited research currently available on virtual discussion forums at the high school level. Three questions guide my research: Is the level of participation in online discussion related to grades in a high school grade 11 English course? Is the nature of participation in online discussion related to grades in a high school grade 11 English course? Is the nature of participation in an online discussion related to the level of participation? It is my hypothesis that high school students who actively participate in online discussions beyond a superficial level will be more successful, although the mere number of messages will not play a significant role in success. I also anticipate that students who are engaged in social interaction which fosters community building will achieve higher grades. Methodology Participants & Setting The sample will include the students enrolled in a grade 11 online English course at Kamloops Open Online Learning School. It is difficult to anticipate the number of students who will enrol at this time as the number fluctuates from term to term. Results will be compiled anonymously with students assigned a pseudonym for the study. This action research, mixed methods study will inform my teaching practices in this course in the future. Action research is appropriate for this study since the available research does not adequately describe the secondary setting (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2009). A mixed methods study is the best approach for this research because my questions require analysis of both

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qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data will be coded and subsequently analyzed quantitatively. It is easy for me to access this sample group since I am the teacher. It may even be possible for me to conduct multiple iterations of this study with later sample groups to refine the methodology and analysis and improve the validity of results. As specified in School District 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) Policy 809.1, permission will be sought from the School District Superintendent. The regulations under this policy require that research meets the following criteria, all of which will be met by this study: a) There should be a clear benefit to the District or the greater educational community. b) The conduct of the research should cause minimal disruption to schools and should not be detrimental to relationships with the community. c) The research should be sponsored and guided by a school district, post-graduate department of a university, or recognized research institution. d) All reasonable steps should be taken in conducting the research to ensure that parents/guardians are informed in advance of all aspects of the research that bear directly on them or their children. Parents/guardians will determine if their children will be permitted to participate in any authorized research project or survey. e) The District, and/or individual school, will preview and approve any communication regarding such research sent home to parents/guardians.

The four-month course will be designed around constructivist principles and delivered entirely online to a cohort moving through the course at the same pace. A discussion forum will be moderated by a teacher who is familiar with constructivist theory and is committed to scaffolding learning by participating in the discussion forum in a guiding capacity. Participation in the discussion forum will be worth 15% of the final grade with a minimum of 5 posts per week required.

DISCUSSION FORUM PARTICIPATION: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Data Collection and Analysis Three types of data will be assembled for analysis: (1) transcripts of the electronic discussion forums will be collected, (2) data concerning the frequency of postings by individuals will be downloaded from the electronic Web Course Tools learning management system, and (3) final grades for the English 11 course being studied. This qualitative data will be used to describe and analyze patterns of participation and interaction. My analysis will be guided by two models: the analysis model presented by Lipponen et al. (2003), and the 13 devices promoting development of community as presented by Lapadat (2007). The coding scheme separates messages according to type: (1) comments (replies to others posts) (2) top level (messages that start a discussion thread) and (3) isolated (messages which receive no replies). The coding categories will be as follows: Comments Focus of the comment On-topic Off-topic community builder The focus of the comment is on the class-learning topic or on the practices of inquiry The focus of the comment is on greetings, references to social situations outside of the course, use of colloquialisms and other jargon, social comments, self-disclosure, anecdotal asides, requests for or offers of help, supportive remarks, use of humour, invitation to comment, use of inclusive language, alignment or use of familiar genres (from Lapadat, 2007) The focus of the comment is any other than the class-learning topic of practices of inquiry The comment encourages the receiver The comment is unconstructive The comment cannot be classified as either of the two previous categories

Off-topic other Nature of the comment Positive feedback Negative feedback Neutral

Function of the comment Providing information The comment provides information concerning the class-learning topic or practices of inquiry Asking for clarification The comment asks for clarification concerning the class-learning topic or practices of inquiry Other The comment cannot be classified as either of the two previous categories

DISCUSSION FORUM PARTICIPATION: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Top-level and Isolated Messages Type of message Top-level message Isolated message Focus of the comment On-topic Off-topic community builder The message starts discussion The message does not receive any response The focus of the message is on the class-learning topic or on the practices of inquiry The focus of the message is on greetings, references to social situations outside of the course, use of colloquialisms and other jargon, social comments, self-disclosure, anecdotal asides, requests for or offers of help, supportive remarks, use of humour, invitation to comment, use of inclusive language, alignment or use of familiar genres (from Lapadat, 2007) The focus of the message is any other than the class-learning topic of practices of inquiry

Off-topic other

Function of the message Asking question The message asks a question concerning the class-learning topic or practices of inquiry Providing information The message provides information concerning the class-learning topic or practices of inquiry Other The comment cannot be classified as either of the two previous categories If new categories present themselves during the research, they will be considered for inclusion. By combining the two coding methods of Lapadat (2007) and Lipponen et al. (2003), I will be able to consider how on-task, off-task, and community building talk are related to the frequency of participation and/or grades. As the unit of study, individual messages will be coded according their nature through categories as described above. It is possible that one message may be coded to several categories. Each message will retain its date and association with both the sender and receiver. The coded data will be sorted by category for each student in order to facilitate correlation with grades and frequency of postings. The coding will be compiled using ATLAS.ti by two independent analysts. Where agreement is not reached, the message will be coded to the other categories.

DISCUSSION FORUM PARTICIPATION: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Final grades for the course will be collected from the teacher. These will be used to try to find relationships between individual students frequency of postings data. It will also be used to correlate final grades with the categories of participation and interaction as outlined above. The quantitative data regarding frequency of postings will be collected from the learning management system being used to deliver the online course under study. Frequency of postings for individual students will be compared to their final grades in order to explore any relationships between the two. The frequency data will also be correlated to individual students coded messages. Using the reply ratio (number of replies divided by the number of original posts) described by Nagel et al. (2009), it will be possible to get an idea of the level of interaction for a given student. This data can then be used to attempt a correlation with grades. Timeline The following timeline will guide the progress of the research: Sep 2011 Jan 2012 Feb-Apr 2012 May 2012 Sep 2012 Seek permission from school district Confirm participation of second coding analyst Seek informed consent from parents Begin data collection as course commences Begin analysis of data, coding, looking for additional coding options Course completed Final grades collected Continuation of data analysis Analysis complete Paper summarizing results complete

Conclusion This study will help to fill a void of research on constructing knowledge through discussion forums at the secondary level. Instructional designers and online discussion moderators will potentially benefit from the results by being better equipped to make decisions about how to design and implement discussion forums in high school courses. Future students of

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these courses will also benefit from this study through improved delivery of course materials which will enhance their knowledge construction. I believe that a positive, supportive learning environment enables deeper learning. This is the foundation upon which social constructivism is built. As Chen & Wang (2009) and Weiner (2003) point out, social talk is important to developing an agreeable learning environment online. This study has the potential to help confirm whether or not the nature of engagement in online discussion forums, including positive community building, can influence academic achievement at the secondary level.

DISCUSSION FORUM PARTICIPATION: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

References Beaudoin, M. F. (2002). Learning or lurking? Tracking the "invisible" online student. Internet and Higher Education, 5, 147155. Chen, F. C., & Wang, T. C. (2009). Social conversation and effective discussion in online group learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 57, 587-612. Davies, J., and Graff, M. (2005). Performance in e-learning: online participation and student grades. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36, 657-663. doi: 10.1111/j.14678535.2005.00542.x Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. Constructivism (pp 384-407). Toronto, ON: Pearson. Gay, L.R., Mills, G.E., & Airasian, P. (2009). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Lapadat, J. C. (2007). Discourse devices used to establish community, increase coherence, and negotiate agreement in an online university course. Journal of Distance Education, 21(3), 59-92. Lipponen, L., Rahikainen, M., Lallimo, J., & Hakkarainen, K. (2003). Patterns of participation and discourse in elementary students' computer supported collaborative learning. Learning and Instruction, 13, 487-509. Nagel, L., Blignaut, A. S., & Cronj, J. C. (2009). Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes. Interactive Learning Environments, 17, 37-51. Pena-Shaff, J. B., & Nicholls, C. (2004). Analyzing student interactions and meaning construction in computer bulletin board discussions. Computers & Education, 42, 243265.

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School District No. 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) (2008). Policy 809.1. Retrieved from http://bcsd73.fileprosite.com/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=2343 Weiner, C. (2003). Key ingredients to online learning: Adolescent students study in cyberspace the nature of the study. International Journal on E-Learning, 2(3), 44-50. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/14497