Online discussion boards are a form of asynchronous computer-mediated communication, ... relationships, debate class topics, and act as a class would if held ...
Connecting Students in Online Learning Environments through Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication: An Investigation of Students’ Motivation Online discussion boards are a form of asynchronous computer-mediated communication, which allow students to “meet and form study groups virtually, establish professional relationships, debate class topics, and act as a class would if held continually” (Spencer & Hiltz, 2003). However, often times, online discussions are not successful in teaching and learning practice. In many situations, online discussion activities appeared to be extra busy work for students, instead of supporting student learning. The research literature indicates that factors such as low levels of student participation (Thomas, 2002) and inappropriately structured discussions (Benfield, 2002) can erode the quality of online discussions. Moreover, students’ autonomy for participating in online discussion and relatedness to the online learning community might be limited. A lot of the unsuccessful cases of using online discussions are directly related to students’ motivation. It is critical to understand the nature of students’ motivation in participating in online discussions in order to identify issues that influence students’ motivation and explore instructional strategies to enhance students’ motivation in order to improve the quality of online discussion (Xie, DeBacker, Furgerson, 2006). Xie et al (2006) investigated students’ motivation in online discussion activity as a component of primarily face-to- face classes. In order to draw practical implications to distance education, it is would be interesting to see whether similar findings will be revealed in authentic online learning settings. The present project will investigate students’ motivation in online discussion activities in online classes. The findings of this study will extend the current literature on computer-mediated communication, especially students’ motivation aspects related to online discussions. This study will also draw practical implications for instructional design and teaching practice in online learning. Background The present project is an extension of Xie et al (2006) study. Xie et al (2006) used SelfDetermination Theory to investigate how students’ participation related to their intrinsic motivation, how their motivation changed over time, and what issues impacted students’ motivation during the course of an online discussion. Xie et al study was conducted with a class that primarily met face-to- face and found that students’ participation in online discussions was related to their intrinsic motivation. Over time, students’ intrinsic motivation for participating in online discussions dropped steadily. The survey questionnaires and interview data revealed that the defined course policy, instructor’s attitude, and instructor’s involvement in online discussion activities were important factors that influenced students’ interests and perceived value of the online discussion activities associated to the class. Changing the instructional setting to an online class setting, the present project proposes to investigate students’ motivation toward online discussion activities and issues that impact those students’ motivation. Comparing to the results in Xie et al (2006) study, a similar motivation correlation pattern and a similar trend for motivation change are expected, however, different issues that influence student’s motivation might emerge from the investigation of the proposed project. The theoretical frameworks used for this project are Self- Determination theory and Achievement Motivation Theories. Self-determination theory (SDT) proposes that a student’s motivation for any given task can range from intrinsic to extrinsic (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Intrinsic motivation is defined as “the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for
some separable consequence” (Ryan & Deci, 2000b). It is “the innate propensity to engage one’s interests and to exercise one’s capacities and, in doing so, to seek out and master optimal challenges” (Deci & Ryan, 1985). When intrinsically motivated, a person is moved to act for the fun or challenge entailed rather than because of external stimuli, pressures, or rewards. On the other hand, when students engage in tasks in order to earn incentives such as rewards, positive feedback, or a good grade, or to avoid punishment or unpleasant consequences, they are said to be extrinsically motivated (Ryan & Deci, 2000b). Achievement Motivation Theories identify three goal orientations for task engagements in achievement settings, including (1) mastery goals, in which individuals seek to increase their ability or master new tasks, (2) performance approach goals, in which individuals seek to demonstrate their ability and maintain positive judgment, and (3) performance avoidance goals, in which individuals seek to avoid negative judgments (Eilliot & Church, 1997). Literature supports that goal orientations are highly related to individuals’ motivation orientations including intrinsic and extrinsic orientations (Covington & Mueller, 2001). The proposed project also expects to see a strong relationship among the variables of interests. The goal of this project is to find out how students’ motivation is related to their participation in online discussion activities. This project also wants to find out how students’ motivation changes over time during the semester, and what issues impact their motivation to participate in online discussion activities. The project addresses students’ motivational issues in online learning practice. The project will draw implications and provide instructional guidelines for teaching practice aiming to improve the quality of distance learning. The project uses the theoretical framework of Self- Determination Theory and Achievement Motivation Theories. The findings will contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence for the theories. Method Research Design The present project will be a mixed method design including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative approach will involve repeated measures to track students’ motivation through the semester. Correlation among variables of interest will also be addressed. The qualitative approach will go in-depth to discover the reasons for students’ motivation change. The qualitative data resources will include both students’ and instructor’s interview data. Participants The present project will be conducted along with an online course offered in the College of Education at a South East University. The participants will be graduate and undergraduate students from this course. Students will receive course credit for participating in the study. Measures Motivation. Intrinsic motivation will be measured by Deci & Ryan’s Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) which has been used in several studies of intrinsic motivation and self-regulation (Self-Determination Theory WWW). The IMI will be modified to specifically address participation in the online discussion forum in this study. Goal Orientation. Students’ goal orientation in participating in online discussion activities will be measured by goal orientation questionnaires used in Elliot’s studies (Elliot & Church, 1997; Elliot & McGregor, 1999). Attitude. Students’ attitude toward the class in general will be measured by 6 Likert style items created for this study.
Computer/Internet Skill. Students’ computer/internet skills will be self-reported in the demographic information with 2 Likert style items created for this study. One item assesses confidence for using a personal computer. The other item assesses confidence for using the Internet to locate information. Participation. Students’ participation in the online discussion board will be measured by (1) number of postings read, and (2) number of messages posted. Procedures As a normal part of the course, students will be required to participate in weekly discussions (see Thomas, 2002, for a discussion of the affects of requiring participation). Instructors will inform students about the requirement to participate in the weekly discussions, and demonstrate its use at the beginning of the semester. During the course, students will be required to share ideas and ask/answer questions using the discussion board. The instructors will agree to participate as discussion coordinators. Their tasks will include reminding students to meet the required minimum number of posted messages, encouraging the use of the discussion board beyond the minimum requirements, and replying to questions the students could not answer. Students in the study will complete survey questionnaires measuring demographic information, intrinsic motivation and goal orientation related to participating in online discussions, and attitude toward the class. In order to track their motivation, the same motivation questio nnaire will be administered three times: at the beginning, the mid-point, and the end of the course. A subset of students who show relatively large increases or decreases in their level of motivation for online discussion will be interviewed addressing the reasons for these changes. Methods of Analysis The quantitative analyses for the present project will involve reliability analysis for instrument validation, correlation analysis to investigate the relationship among variables of interest, and repeated measures to track students’ motivation change over time. The qualitative data will be reviewed by two reviewers individually to discover themes. Two reviewers will also meet and discuss to get an agreement on the qualitative results. Expected Results Anticipated Results and Implications The research data will be collected during the Spring 2007 semester. We anticipate seeing some results similar to the findings in Xie et al (2006) study. For example, the correlation findings will support Self-Determination theory which states that students’ motivation is correlated with their participation and performance in class activities. We anticipate our results will show relationships between students’ intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and their goal orientation. We also anticipate seeing students’ motivation change over time. Different reasons are expected to be revealed from students’ and instructor’s interview data. These results will bring practical instructional guidance for the instructional design and teaching practice in online learning classes.
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