Enhancing Student Engagement and Structured Learning in Online Discussion Forums: The Worksheet Video Walk Formula

Enhancing Student Engagement and Structured Learning in Online Discussion Forums: The Worksheet Video Walk Formula

Agnes Whitfield, Vanessa Evans, Breanna E. M. Simpson
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 11
DOI: 10.4018/IJOPCD.305728
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Abstract

Discussion forums remain an important component in student engagement and learning in many online courses, but current research suggests that refining their pedagogical design could significantly enhance their effectiveness. The Worksheet Video Walk Formula offers one such option. Drawing on scaffolding and question techniques, the worksheet structures the interactive learning tasks closely around the concepts and skills to be learned, while the video walk reinforces students’ connection and engagement with the task activities. This article discusses the pedagogical challenges in designing and implementing the Formula in a large (104 students) second-year English literature course on the short story. The impact of the Formula on the quality of student interaction with concepts and texts as well as their development of close reading and critical thinking skills is assessed, and future applications are explored. This study has implications for teacher presence in discussion forums, learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and online pedagogy in large classes.
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Background

Given the importance of student interaction for successful learning and concerns “about how much interactivity a distance course could provide” (Beldarrain, 2006, p. 140), research on online discussion forums has focused on promoting and evaluating student participation (de Lima et al., 2019; DeNoyelles et al., 2014; Johnson & Altowairiki, 2021; Kupczynski & McCluskey, 2010; Lowenthal & Dunlap, 2020; Wyss et al., 2014). As online teaching has expanded into multiple contexts, studies have assessed student satisfaction (Decker & Beltran, 2016; Wyss et al., 2014), student stress (Lazarevic & Benz, 2021), forums in large classes (Chen et al., 2017), and institutional supports for online education (Mesquita & Peres, 2016). The effectiveness of new technologies and social software applications and technological training for instructors have also been explored (Grenon et al., 2019; Simon, 2018).

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