Objective: Compare student engagement/interactivity in two different types of assignments (Video versus standard Discussion Board).
Problem Statement: Faculty are often frustrated because the teaching strategies of the past are no longer effective with the Net Generation. Emerging technologies need to be investigated for effectiveness in promoting student engagement and interactivity in the online course. The traditional discussion board provides a flat, one dimensional format for students to interact with their peers. Richey and Klein (2007) discussed the ongoing interest in research related to technology-enhanced learning environments. Could research support the idea that technology enhanced learning may increase student engagement? Could an assignment using video responses rather that the flat, one sided discussion boards improve student engagement? According to Richey and Klein, it is important to clarify the process by which people learn, typically through interactions with instructional technologies and other learners (2007).
Theoretical Framework: Social learning theory discusses the importance of learning naturally in conversations with others rather than in regimented, pre-packaged segments (Batson, 2009). Bandura (1977) described social learning theory as how people learn from one another, Brunner (1964) believed that learning cannot occur in isolation. Vygotsky (1978) held the belief that learning cannot be understood outside the social concept of learning. In 2003, Bender concurred stating that working together in the course room enhanced learning by allowing students to question and share meaning with other learners. The common theme among these theorists is the belief that students do not learn in isolation, therefore instructional strategies that allow for social engagement may enhance the learning environment.
Sims and Koszalka, stated that social engagement/interactivity is critical to the overall effectiveness of the online learning experience. Students need to be able to communicate with their peers, both in writing and verbally. It is essential that that faculty participate in the learning process, but gradually decrease the amount of support given to students (Candela, 2016). It takes creativity in an online environment to ensure that students are given ample opportunities to collaborate with one another and reflect on their work. To overcome barriers, teachers must view the integration of new technologies as a vehicle to improve learner outcomes (Lawrence & Lentle-Keenan, 2013). While faculty believe video response will provide a more engaging learning environment, there has been little research on the topic.
Purpose Statement: The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to determine the effect on student engagement when a video discussion is utilized instead of the traditional discussion board.
Research Question: Could an assignment using video responses rather that the flat, one sided Discussion boards improve student engagement?
Hypothesis: For the purpose of this research study, the hypothesis was; The use of a video response assignment compared to a standard discussion board forum will increase students’ perception of engagement/interactivity in the online course.
Methodology:
A convenience sample was used of those students already enrolled in an online course. The students were adult nursing students enrolled in the master’s program. There were 160 students enrolled in the course (multiple sections). The duration of the subject’s participation in the study was 10 weeks. The study completed in winter quarter 2017.
All students enrolled in the course completed discussions in two different formats, with two imbedded video response exercises and two standard Discussion Boards. A survey measuring student perception was sent to all students who consented to be part of the study during the last week of the course using Qualtrics. The survey also contained some descriptive data of experience with online learning, ESL student, and age.
The data was collected by using the COLLES survey. The COLLES survey is designed to measure students’ preferred or ideal experience with online learning. The questions are grouped into six categories. The first four questions focus on relevance, Questions five through eight focus on reflection, Questions nine through 12 on interactivity, Questions 13 through 16 on instructor support, Questions 17 through 20 on peer support, and Questions 21 through 24 on interpretation. For the purpose of this study, the focus was on data collected from questions 9-12 on interactivity and questions 17 through 20 on peer support. The data were analyzed using paired sample t tests to determine statistical differences.