1. Research Article Review
By Martina Henke
EDAE 637 : The Design of E-Learning
University of Alaska
Dr. Andrew Page

2. Student Engagement in Distance
Learning Environments:
A Comparison of Threaded
Discussion Forums and Text–focused
Wikis
by Fei Gao and David Wong
First Monday [Online], Volume 13 Number 1 (13 January 2008)

3. Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to
improve the quality of students’
online discussion of assigned
readings in an online course.

4. Online Discussions...
deepen student understanding of course
material and to support student
interactions

5. Online Discussions...
can reduce the psychological and
communications distance among the
learners

6. Online Discussions...
can facilitate more collaborative
learning when students post questions,
share ideas, and jointly construct
meaning

7. Online Discussions...
are threaded, recorded, and available
outside normal time constraints, thus
have great potential to support higher-
order thinking and in-depth learning

8. ...however...
often lack focus and depth
leave important issues unexplored

9. The Study:
Researchers compared
traditional threaded discussions
with a text-focused wiki

10. The Study:
Participants:
20 master’s level students in an online
educational psychology course.

11. The Study:
Methodology:
Students first responded in threaded
discussion format. In week 5 of class, a
different format was introduced.

12. Student Responses
Assigned Text
Text-focused wiki

13. Data Collection:
Questionnaire:
(a) “How did the text–focused Wiki and the threaded
forum impact your participation similarly or differently?”
(b) “How did the text–focused Wiki and the threaded
impact your discussion similarly or differently?”
(c) “What were other good and bad experiences when
participating in each of the activities?

14. Results:
Four Discussion Areas Influenced:
• focus
• depth
• flow
• willingness to participate

15. Focus:

16. Depth:

17. Flow of Discussion:

18. Willingness to Participate:
• 16 of 20 more enthusiastic about the text-focused
wiki
• Greater average # of posts and # of words
posted
• Spontaneous re-reading of the text

19. Some Constraints:
• Less chance to discuss personal stories & real-
life situations
• Good for focusing, not as strong at developing a
broad view

20. Implications for Future Research
• What types of discussion the text-focused wiki
does and does not support
• How best to combine these types of discussion
with other forms
• How instructor scaffolding and facilitation can
be combined with these discussions.

21. My Thoughts:
This method fits with current research on
effective comprehension teaching
strategies
A creative method for overcoming the
difficulties presented by threaded
discussion forums.

22. Sources:
Gao, Fei, AND Wong, David. quot;Student engagement in
distance learning environments: A comparison of threaded
discussion forums and text-focused Wikisquot; First Monday
[Online], Volume 13 Number 1 (13 January 2008)