Open AccessThe Impact of a Structured Protocol on Graduate Student Perception of Online Asynchronous Discussions
Author(s) -
Laurie Kimbrel
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of curriculum and teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1927-2685
pISSN - 1927-2677
DOI - 10.5430/jct.v9n3p172
Subject(s) - rubric , asynchronous communication , perception , grading (engineering) , computer science , protocol (science) , online discussion , mathematics education , face to face , medical education , psychology , multimedia , world wide web , engineering , medicine , computer network , philosophy , civil engineering , alternative medicine , epistemology , pathology , neuroscience
Instructors of online courses face unique challenges to ensure student interaction with course material. Sometimes, even the most exciting content is insufficient in an attempt to engage students. Online, asynchronous discussions offer promise as a means to increase student-to-student and student-to-content interaction and, ultimately, student satisfaction with online courses. The modification of structured discussion protocols designed for use in face to face environments offers instructors of online courses an efficient method of adding purpose and structure to asynchronous discussions. This research employed a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent group design to examine students' perception of asynchronous discussion before and after applying a structured discussion protocol that included a clear statement of purpose, directions for participation, and a grading rubric. Results from the data analysis indicated that student perception of online asynchronous discussions improved when a structure was added. Results also showed a lower level of dissatisfaction when discussions were structured.