Users not Watchers: Motivation and the use of discussion boards in online learning
Location
Capitol Ballroom
Start
1-17-2018 10:15 AM
End
1-17-2018 10:45 AM
Short Description
The use of discussion boards in online learning can be as useful as any physical discussion. A good discussion board can motivate and enervate. Complex problem solving requires emotion and motivation to give it energy and focus. If students don’t feel motivated, then they cannot muster the energy to act. Students can be active users, not just passive watchers, if discussion promotes it. This presentation illustrates the use of discussion boards to motivate successful online learning.
Abstract
This presentation is for college professors who teach online or who use online discussion boards in the physical or virtual classroom. College students can be motivated to participate in any learning activity when they feel it helps. Students have an uncanny sense of a tipping point of use. Is it worth my time? Will it help me get a better grade? Discussion boards only work if they help and not hinder online learning. Discussing course content online can be as useful as discussing it among physical classmates. In fact, actively using discussion boards can encourage students to be active users not passive watchers. Users are motivated to engage. Watchers disengage. The present paper provides six examples of how DB motivates online learning. These examples are not exhaustive, but include DB as a way to organize teams, use other tools, file share, mentor, share experiences, and create a small learning community within a larger class. The advantages and disadvantages of using discussion boards are then presented along with some conclusions about motivation theory. The main purposes of this paper are to: 1) provide examples of the use of DB that illustrate the impact of emotion and motivation on successful online learning and 2) connect these examples to current theory. Active users learn, passive watchers don’t. Discussion boards can be a very effective learning tool, but only if the professor wields the power of motivation.
Format
Poster Session
Moderator
Katie Santana, FLVS
Users not Watchers: Motivation and the use of discussion boards in online learning
Capitol Ballroom
This presentation is for college professors who teach online or who use online discussion boards in the physical or virtual classroom. College students can be motivated to participate in any learning activity when they feel it helps. Students have an uncanny sense of a tipping point of use. Is it worth my time? Will it help me get a better grade? Discussion boards only work if they help and not hinder online learning. Discussing course content online can be as useful as discussing it among physical classmates. In fact, actively using discussion boards can encourage students to be active users not passive watchers. Users are motivated to engage. Watchers disengage. The present paper provides six examples of how DB motivates online learning. These examples are not exhaustive, but include DB as a way to organize teams, use other tools, file share, mentor, share experiences, and create a small learning community within a larger class. The advantages and disadvantages of using discussion boards are then presented along with some conclusions about motivation theory. The main purposes of this paper are to: 1) provide examples of the use of DB that illustrate the impact of emotion and motivation on successful online learning and 2) connect these examples to current theory. Active users learn, passive watchers don’t. Discussion boards can be a very effective learning tool, but only if the professor wields the power of motivation.