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Edited by Dr. Lynne Schrum, George Mason University
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| formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education |
Volume 39 Number 4 Summer 2007
The Effect of Student Choice of Online Discussion Format on Tiered Achievement
and Student Satisfactio
ShinYi Lin
Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health
Richard C. Overbaugh
Old Dominion University
Abstract
This study investigated whether providing students with the choice of chat
versus threaded discussion boards for online discourse is an effective instructional
strategy in terms of student learning and satisfaction. The sample was teacher
education students enrolled in face-to-face (FTF) and online sections of one
undergraduate foundations course. Both sections required participation in online
text-based discussion. Comparison groups included course format (FTF vs. online),
discussion format (chat vs. discussion board) and discussion format option (choice
vs. no choice). Results reveal that students’ choice of discussion format
was influenced by the trait of academic introversion-extraversion but not by
the instructional environment (FTF or online) in which they enrolled. In addition,
providing the choice of discussion format to students enhanced course satisfaction
and, while some differences were found in cognitive achievement, the results
were weak.
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Contributors
ShinYi Lin is assistant professor of the Department of Information Technology
at Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, Taiwan. She received her PhD
in urban education/ educational technology from Old Dominion University, Virginia.
Her research interests include instructional strategy and distributed learning
in adult education. (E-mail: slin@ems.cku.edu.tw.)
Richard C. Overbaugh is associate professor of Darden College of Education
at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. (E-mail: roverbau@odu.edu.)
Copyright 2007, (International Society for Technology in Education). All
rights reserved.
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