The Effects of Contrasting Models in an Online Discussion Environment
Although online asynchronous discussions have been incorporated widely into higher education courses as a means to promote knowledge construction, reflection, and critical thinking, research suggests that such discussions rarely generate meaningful learning opportunities. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the effects of a contrasting example model on preservice teachers' online discussions and peer-feedback in an online course, to determine whether this would be an effective instructional approach in the development of students’ adaptive expertise in writing asynchronous online discussion postings as well as in their interactions while participating in such discussions. Specifically, this study examines three approaches (Contrasting Model, Good Model, and Rubric) on the quality of students’ online postings, including their initial discussion postings and the feedback they provide to their peers.
- ID
- 35931
- Type
- Virtual Brief Paper
- Topic
- Online learning environments