Evaluation
The case study was evaluated using a number of different data sources. Evidence gathered from the student group comprised informal one-to-one conversations, anonymous questionnaires and a focus-group discussion based on emerging themes in the questionnaires. Of a total of 10 students, 8 students partook in the informal one-to-one conversations and 9 in the questionnaires and focus-group. I also harvested quantitative data based on student’s engagement and grades obtained in each of the online forums. I kept an on-going reflective diary which recorded insights and issues as they arose.
Emerging themes from the quantitative data:
Participation
- The forum questions which students had an input into designing, (F1, F2, F5) led to greater numbers of students participating; (see Fig. 1,2,3)
- The fifth and final forum which I gave extra flipped feedback, feed-forward and had a guest speaker’s input, had a participation rate of 80% (see Fig. 1,4).
Evidence of student participation & academic performance in online discussion forums
Emerging themes condt.
- In the forums which were perceived as being ‘more challenging’ (F3, F4) students with 2.2 grades in previous forums did not participate at all and only the students with first class or high 2.1 grades in previous forums participated. (see Fig. 4)
Performance
- The fifth and final forum which I gave extra flipped feedback, feed-forward and had a guest speaker’s input, had a total of 100% first class grades awarded (see fig. 1,4).
- The forum questions which students had an input into designing, (F1, F2, F5) led to greater numbers of first class grades being awarded; (see fig. 1, 4)