Posting messages and acquiring knowledge in collaborative online tasks

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the online participation of 40 students who, while studying a graduate programme in a fully online higher education institution, were assigned to small online groups for a four-week period in order to develop a written task. The type and frequency of their postings in the online forums were analysed. In addition, knowledge outcomes were evaluated and correlation analyses were applied to identify relationships between frequency and types of online postings and knowledge acquisition. Findings show a correlation between content-oriented postings and individual knowledge acquisition. There was also significant correlation between new ideas and critical evaluation postings, with all types of knowledge evaluated at an individual level. The results suggest that instructors should be concerned with types and frequency of messages students post in online small groups in order to stimulate active participation and high-cognitive quality postings.

KEYWORDS:

• Computer-mediated collaboration
• knowledge acquisition
• postings
• small groups

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Consuelo Garcia

Consuelo Garcia is Professor, Research Scientist and Lecturer (full time) at the Faculty of Education of the Open University of La Rioja (Logroño, Spain) and Visiting Professor of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú (Lima, Peru). Her research interests include computer-supported collaborative learning, information problem-solving skills and teacher-student learning supported by technology. She is also Director of the BA (Hons) in Primary Education and the BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education.

Antoni Badia

Antoni Badia is Professor, Research Scientist and Lecturer (full time) at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the Open University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain). He has published books and articles on teacher identity, teacher learning and professional development. From 2003 to 2006 he was Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the Open University of Catalonia. Now he is Director of the master’s degree Improving the Quality of Teaching in Childhood and Primary Education.