Summary:
The case study “Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes” was conducted in 2009 by L. Nagel, A. S. Blignaut, and J. C. Cronje. It examined the importance of participation quantity and quality in an online classroom setting. The study involved 22 graduate level students from the University of Pretoria, aged between 30 and 50 years old. Each week, the students were assigned research topics and had to participate in online discussions.
In a study conducted by Nagel, Blignaut, and Cronje, the researchers investigated how student logins, post quantity, and virtual role within a course affected their ability to successfully complete it with a passing grade. The primary objective was to understand the impact of participation on the overall learning community. After eight weeks, students were classified into three groups (Fail, pass, distinction) based on their final percentage in the course. These findings were derived from this case study’s results (Blignaut, Cronje & Nagle, 2009).
Student Logons and Discussion Posts
Students placed in the fail group had fewer logins and viewed only about half of the course material compared to the other two groups. Moreover, they posted significantly less in the classroom compared to the other two groups. The success of students was not solely determined by their login frequency but rather by their participation and the number of discussion posts they made.
Virtual Community
In another part of the case study, students were involved in grading each other’s contributions.
Every student was given two peer assessments and one facilitator assessment using a rubric, which were then averaged. Low participation students seldom engaged in classroom communication, opting instead for email, text messages, or phone calls with the facilitator. These students made infrequent valuable contributions, leading to low completion rates and poor grades. On the other hand, successful students in the course frequently logged in, actively posted content, and regularly responded to their peers.
Blignaut et al. (2009) found that students willingly provided feedback and concluded that successful course completion is influenced by multiple factors. To successfully complete online courses, students must not only submit responses and assignments but also engage in discussions with peers. This interaction fosters a sense of community among students, ultimately contributing to their course success. Conversely, unsuccessful students produced low-quality work and had limited interaction with classmates and the facilitator.
According to Blignaut et al. (2009), building trust among Master level students and creating an online community is more likely to occur through high quality contributions rather than quantity. They argue that a large number of students who simply observe in the classroom environment hinders the formation of a community of learners and negatively impacts everyone’s education.
References
- Blignaut, A. S. , Cronje, J. C. , Nagel, L. (2009). Read-only: a case for student communication in online classes. Interactive Learning Environments, 17(1), 37-51.
