THE USE OF GUIDED, ROLE-BASED, AND SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD TO FACILITATE PEER INTERACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION ONLINE COURSES

Abstract

This study investigated students' perceptions of peer interaction using an online discussion board that applied guided, role-based, and small group instructional strategies in a graduate online course. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was adopted, modified, and used in this study. Four data sources were used: (1) online surveys, (2) semi-structured individual interviews, (3) online discussion board posts, and (4) online discussion board logs. Data collection was conducted over approximately 4 months, from August 22 to December 16, 2022, for 17 participants enrolled in the target graduate online course. For 15 weeks, the students' online discussion system logs and posts were collected and analyzed weekly, serving as initial data to refine online surveys and personal interview questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze data from 15 completed online surveys and the online discussion system logs. A total of 1,044 online discussion posts were gathered, and individual interviews were conducted with 14 students totaled 604.9 minutes. Content analysis was applied to analyze qualitative data, with two researchers coding the interview transcripts to ensure data analysis triangulation. The results of this study revealed both positive and negative perceptions of students regarding the use of online discussion boards. Role-based discussions helped create diverse voices and foster ownership, responsibility, and community, and small group discussions increased engagement and intimacy among students. Additionally, clear instructions and instructor-provided guiding questions supported students’ understanding and engagement. However, a free discussion was limited due to excessive role immersion, and a student's low participation or late posting due to the small discussion group size hindered the progress of the entire discussion. In particular, factors such as full-time job status and deadlines for major assignments negatively influenced student participation. Overall, the provided online discussion board facilitated meaningful interaction, but the need for improvement for optimal design has been identified. Modifications related to task arrangement, role assignment methods, discussion period, and article selection method were suggested. This study provided valuable insight into how applying instructional strategies to an online discussion board can help promote peer interaction. It also demonstrated the significance of moderators in online discussions. These findings offer practical guidelines for designing effective online discussion boards.