29th Annual Student Research Conference
Conversation Starter or Killer? A Look at Online Discussion Boards in the English Classroom
Mary A. Petrofsky♦
Dr. Rebecca Dierking, Dr. Barbara Price, and Dr. Joseph Benevento, Faculty Mentors
With daily advancements in technology, education has pushed for technology in classrooms to ensure that students are prepared for a world that relies heavily on the internet. As people increasingly communicate using technology, students must become adept at interacting online. Research suggests that students benefit more from online discussions in comparison to in-class discussions because students have a sense of anonymity, are not inhibited by face-to-face interactions, and have time to develop ideas. In this study, I focused on comparing in-class and online discussions to see how they affect high school students' participation in discussions regarding literature and the quality of their contributions in terms of students supporting their claims using textual evidence and responding to their peers. Through surveys regarding students' attitudes towards discussions, student work, and observation notes, I strived to understand how to best incorporate online forums used in the business and social worlds into the classroom.
Keywords: education, technology, online discussions, literature, participation
Topic(s):English, Secondary MAE Research
English
Education
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -5
Location: VH 1224
Time: 2:00