Maximizing Student Participation through Online Forum Discussions

1. Promoting participation via a multiple-discussion online forum:Student perspectives on the experience Tanyasha Yearwood The Seventh International Blended Learning Conference “Reflecting on our achievements – What’s next for technology-enhanced learning and teaching” 13th – 14th June 2012 University of Hertfordshire – The Fielder Center, Hatfield, Herts., UK The Learning and Teaching Institute in partnership with JISC t.yearwood@hib-academy.de

2. Overview One “phase“ in the process of Appreciative Inquiry Setting, participants and task Discovery through reflective commentaries and triangulation with discourse The next phase: “explores the data from its “positive core” and finds ways of envisioning a future...” (Cousin, 2009: 180)

3. One “phase” in the process of Appreciative Inquiry My learning outcomes: How will my students experience this? What gives life to this experience? • “...[moving] beyond the confines... of a problem-centered focus... If we look at what animates a setting, we ignite our thinking with possibilities rather than limitations” (Cousin, 2009: 172). The Appreciative Inquiry Approach Discovery Amplification Design Implementation

4. Discovery… to frame the future “… it proports to create an environment that allows for collaborative interaction among students” (Brandl, 2005: 16). • “The appearance of new technology represents the opportunity to evolve from teaching-learning proceses (T/L) focused on the teacher, to others which are more student-focused and get in more interactive learning environments. Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Social Software constitute the most visible side of ICT (Bosco, 2011: 14)

5. The setting, participants… Private university of International Management B.A. (Hons) 1st semester Level 1 students (43) English Business Communication II (focus on developing oral skills) VLE (Moodle courseroom)

6. The EBC II Moodle course room Link to face to face session Opportunity for further skills development Making explicit the added value and link to evaluation

7. … and task (promoting participation) • Preparing for a job interview – Providing convincing answers for tricky questions

8. … and ensuring participation • Requiring students to make at least one contribution • Providing a range of topics from which students can choose • Giving students sufficient support to ensure that they are comfortable with the process (e.g doing a dry run) • Making students aware of my support and following through (e.g. motivational email)

10. Discovery through reflective commentaries… “…depicting positive aspects,… as data in its own right” (Cousin, 2009: 179). • Each commentary reviewed to identify themes defining the experience (“Life-giving features) “…hat eseinengutenZweckerfülltdaman gemeinsam…diskutiert hatunddieseauchfestgehalten hat. So konnte man sichallesnochmaldurchlesen….”

11. Illustrations (I) • Learning collaboratively “Ein Student ist gut, mehere sind besser” GIVING AND RECEIVING • Support • Feedback “Food for thought” – “Ideenpool” • New perspectives/new ideas • Reflection • Building (on others’) ideas

12. Illustrations (II) • Flexible Learning (freedom) • to interact on one’s own time (not bound by place/time) • to choose a topic of interest • to have more “think time” • to be brave • to contribute as much as one likes “…diese Art derDiskussion [war] sehr gut fürdiejenigen die sichimUnterrichtvielleichtnichtmeldenwurden und eherzurückhaltendersind” “…dass man auf allesantwortenkonnteohneunterbrochenzuwerden”

13. Illustrations (III) • Socializing • Becoming aware of the various ways in which others express themselves • Valuing others’ views • Slotting into other peoples’ thinking • Leading to exchanges outside the classroom “… JederhatteeineIdee und war einenselbstüberlassen was man davonangenommen hat und was nicht.” “Ichfand gut, dass so vieleverschiedeneIdeengesammeltwerdenkonnte… Man konnteseine eigeneausbauen… So konnte man sichgemeinsam auf das Interview vorbereiten”

14. Illustrations (IV) • Pedagogicalvalue • Visual effect of the written form of the discussion • Sustainability of the exchange • Structure of the ideas • More time for reflection • Opportunity for the more reserved • Opportunity for the less reserved • Discussing and reflecting in the foreign language “…ichhabegelernt (generell) überandereMeinungen auf englischnachzudenken, zukommunizieren&meineeigeneMeinungsomitzuvertretenoderneueIdeen in die Diskussionmiteinzubringen”

15. … and triangulation with discourse • Each online script was reviewed to identify overlaps with the themes raised in the reflective commentaries • Corroborating what students say about the value of the experience with teacher understandings • Identifying to what extent the learning outcomes were achieved • Verifying the strength of the “life-giving” features

16. Learning collaboratively

17. “Food for thought” / New perspectives

18. Opportunity for the more active

19. Thank you for your interest in this session!