Developing Asynchronous Online Discussion Boards to Increase Student Engagement and Learning

Background

Asynchronous online learning is becoming an increasingly popular method for students to receive a university education. According to the United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2018), almost 30% of college students take at least some coursework online and over 14% take all of their courses via a web-based format. The majority of fully online students work full time (Clinefelter & Aslanian, 2017), which may indicate a need for flexibility in education options. In addition to its popularity among nontraditional students, the use of online instruction allows students in rural areas to access college instruction (Fish & Gill, 2009).

Online courses may involve either synchronous or asynchronous activities, or a combination of the two. Previous research indicates that students perceive their learning to be enhanced through synchronous instruction and interactions (Ward, Peters, & Shelley, 2010). However, for many nontraditional and rural students, the use of synchronous instruction can pose a challenge; for these students, learning outcomes may be achieved through the use of asynchronous online learning. In addition, these online discussion boards may help to increase students’ sense of community (Saade & Huang, 2009).

For courses that do not include a real-time, synchronous component, the course discussion board is a vital means of engaging learners and providing high quality instruction for students. Asynchronous online discussion boards provide a means for a mediated discussion between students and faculty, but that discussion includes a time delay between responses (Fear & Erikson-Brown, 2014). Online discussion boards provide students the opportunity to learn from one another, as well as to receive timely instruction and feedback from the course instructor (Cho & Tobias, 2016). Well-designed online discussion boards aid in creating a sense of community among students (Rovai, 2007) and increase student motivation and engagement (Al Jeraisy, Mohammad, & Fayyoumi, 2015). While increased activity on the course discussion board does not impact student achievement in the course, there is a correlation between failing the course and inactivity in course discussions (Davies & Graff, 2005).

The literature indicates that high quality discussion boards impact student retention, grades, and interactions (Brown, 2012; Fear & Erikson-Brown, 2014; Fetzner, 2013).

Effective online coursework includes high quality course design, interaction between students, and instructor involvement and planning (Crawford-Ferre & Fiest, 2012). Online students often cite effective and frequent communication from, and interactions with, faculty as a critical factor in both their satisfaction and success in online coursework (Bailie, 2015). In the asynchronous online learning environment, the course discussion board provides the ideal opportunity for student-faculty interactions and communication. The literature indicates that the use of discussion boards in online courses may increase social interactions among students, thereby creating a sense of community (Andresen, 2009; Cho & Tobias, 2016; Swan & Shih, 2005).