Examining the sequence of integrating online discussions in face-to-face class

Introduction
Technology has become a part of everyones daily life; this overhaul of our way of life has come quickly, and with the influx of new technologies every day, teachers are tasked with integrating technology into the classroom now more than ever. Because technology is now deeply woven into all aspects of todays society, digital literacy is vital for 21st century learners. To help foster digital literacy and meet the standards of the new Common Core State Standards [CCSS], teachers are tasked with integrating technology into the classroom now more than ever. However, many teachers dont know the best formats and structures through which integrate technology with content area curriculum. Online discussions integrated into traditional face-to-face classrooms can help teachers teach digital literacy while increasing collaboration, participation, critical thinking, and opportunities to write (Koory, (2003); Jensen-Rix (2011); Holland & Muilenburg, 2011).

April Dickson Braun Class A Methodology

Two 9th-grade ELA classes, with randomly assigned students and taught by the same teacher, were asked to respond to the same prompts through an online discussion and a face-toface discussion. Then, both classes completed a writing assignment related to the topic of the discussion. Class A participated in the face-to-face discussion before the online discussion, while Class B participated in the online discussion before the face-to-face discussion. Other than the alternate sequence of the two discussions, all other classroom activities were the same. The discussions and writing assignment were graded by the teacher using a rubric, and the students and teacher completed a reflective survey.
Face-to-face Class Discussion Structured Online Discussion Independent Writing Task

Conclusions
Though this study has limitations, the data suggests that when integrating online discussions with face-to-face discussions, teachers should consider holding the online discussion first. Students in Class B overall participated more robustly in the face-to-face discussion; the participating teacher felt that the online discussion gave voice to students who do not normally speak in class, and that those quieter students were more likely to participate in the face-to-face discussion after having the online discussion. This suggests that the online discussion can help to have more voices heard in the discussion and can possibly prompt silent students to speak in the face-to-face discussion. Students writings showed greater proficiency in the standards for argumentative writing for the class that participated in the online discussion first. A majority of students and the teacher agreed that having the online discussion before the face-to-face discussion was most beneficial to writing. The addition of online discussion prior to a face-to-face discussion helped students to feel more prepared for the face-to-face discussion. Students in Class B expressed that the online discussion helped them to feel more confident about speaking, one of the many struggles teachers face when trying to implement face-to-face discussions in class. Overall, the study suggests that teachers should consider hosting online discussions before face-to-face class discussions to help improve face-to-face discussions, students in writing, and students satisfaction and confidence. The increased time spent thinking about the discussion topic as well as the ability to gather thoughts coherently before participating face-to-face suggest that online discussions could provide a great benefit to student achievement in ELA classrooms.

Class B

Structured Online Discussion

Face-to-face Class Discussion

Independent Writing Task

Data and Results

To determine which sequence best helped to improve student outcomes, data was gathered from teacher-graded rubrics from the online discussions and from the final writing assignments as well as from student and teacher surveys regarding their attitudes toward the sequence of the discussions.

Students Attitudes toward Online Discussions and Writing

Statement of Problem
The study examined the most effective sequence of instruction when integrating online discussions with Socratic-style face-to-face discussions and to learn whether students engage in more critical thinking if the online discussion precedes or follows the Socraticstyle face-to-face discussion. The study also examines student and teacher attitudes toward the sequence of integrating an online discussion with a face-to-face discussion.

Class A
Online Discussion Rubric Scores

Class B

Significance of Problem
Online discussion forums are often a way to extend or preface face-to-face class discussions; however, little research has been done to show the effectiveness of the various sequences of online and face-to-face activities. This study aimed to gain insight into best practices for integrating online discussions into traditional classrooms. Teachers often use Socratic-style discussions to elicit deeper understanding of a text or concept (Copeland, 2005); however, education is moving toward student-centered learning that helps students to gain technology skills while accessing higher-order thinking. Integrating online discussions can help teachers to encourage higher-order thinking and can help students to engage with technology in a more meaningful way (Schellens and Valcke, 2005). Learning how different sequences of online and face-to-face discussions effect critical thinking, teachers can make smarter instructional choices when implementing online discussions.

References
Copeland, M. (2005). Socratic circles fostering critical and creative thinking in middle and high school. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse Publishers.

Writing Rubric Scores

Holland, C. & Muilenburg, L. (2011). Supporting Student Collaboration: Edmodo in the Classroom. In M. Koehler & P. Mishra (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011, 3232-3236. Jensen-Rix, R. (2011) Blended Learning : perspectives on mixing online and offline communities of enquiry. E-Learning and Digital Media, 8(4), 423-433.

Student Attitudes toward Discussion Sequence

Koory, M. A. (2003) Differences in Learning Outcomes for the Online and F2F Versions of An Introduction to Shakespeare. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7.2, 19 -35. Schellens, T. and Valcke M., (2005). Collaborative learning in asyn chronous discussion groups: What about the impact on cognitive processing. Computers in Human Behavior, 21.6, 957 -975. Re trieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2004.02.025