Welcome to the InfoSci Platform
Motivators of Student Contribution in Peer-Facilitated Online Discussion Environments: Additional Findings from Three Case Studies

Motivators of Student Contribution in Peer-Facilitated Online Discussion Environments: Additional Findings from Three Case Studies

Hew Khe Foon
Copyright: © 2015 |Volume: 5 |Issue: 1 |Pages: 13
ISSN: 2155-6873|EISSN: 2155-6881|EISBN13: 9781466679375|DOI: 10.4018/ijopcd.2015010104
Cite Article Cite Article

MLA

Foon, Hew Khe. "Motivators of Student Contribution in Peer-Facilitated Online Discussion Environments: Additional Findings from Three Case Studies." IJOPCD vol.5, no.1 2015: pp.45-57. http://doi.org/10.4018/ijopcd.2015010104

APA

Foon, H. K. (2015). Motivators of Student Contribution in Peer-Facilitated Online Discussion Environments: Additional Findings from Three Case Studies. International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IJOPCD), 5(1), 45-57. http://doi.org/10.4018/ijopcd.2015010104

Chicago

Foon, Hew Khe. "Motivators of Student Contribution in Peer-Facilitated Online Discussion Environments: Additional Findings from Three Case Studies," International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design (IJOPCD) 5, no.1: 45-57. http://doi.org/10.4018/ijopcd.2015010104

Export Reference

Mendeley
Favorite Full-Issue Download

Abstract

Online discussion forums are increasingly being utilized to provide a means for student-to-student interaction in e-learning environments. There is comparatively little research that examines peer-facilitated asynchronous online discussions compared to instructor-facilitated ones. This paper reports three studies on the motivators of student contribution in online discussions conducted within the context of peer-facilitation. These three studies involved the following samples: (a) full-time undergraduates (n = 47), (b) full-time graduates (n = 41), and (c) working adults in corporate settings (n = 62). Cross-comparison of the three studies revealed six major motivators: discussion topic, performance-linked incentive, personal gain, social capital, enjoyment, and response from other participants. Interestingly and contrary to expectations, the most common motivator was not performance-linked incentive such as marks for contribution but (a) the type of discussion topic followed by (b) the types of responses from other participants. Further analyses revealed that more graduate students reported being motivated by personal gain motives compared to undergraduates and working adults, and fewer undergraduates reported being motivated by the enjoyment of the discussion compared to graduates and working adults. More undergraduate and graduate students reported being motivated by marks compared to working adults. Synthesizing the findings of this study and those reported in other previous studies produces a more updated and comprehensive understanding of what motivates students to contribute in peer-facilitated online discussions. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Request Access

You do not own this content. Please login to recommend this title to your institution's librarian or purchase it from the IGI Global bookstore.