Let’s discuss online better: A constructivist approach to improve student participation through discussion boards in online education
Presented by Murat Dagistan
Description:
Many students and even teachers get a sour look on their face when it comes to synchronous or asynchronous discussions in online courses, and they mostly hesitate to participate. Participation is a critical concept in online discussions that occur on both personal and social levels in the process of meaning and knowledge construction. In this respect, online discussions are supposed to be constructivist in nature. There are still some concerns over whether online discussions are real discussions and curiosity about how to improve the overall qualities of online discussions, and eventually, student participation based on constructivist principles. This presentation aims to provide plausible answers to all these questions through real discussion examples.