Chapter relevant chat room discussions: a study on test scores

Rhonda DeYoung Metropolitan State College of Denver

Introduction

The online learning environment has made education convenient for many students.

Online classes are similar to a traditional lecture classroom (Smith, Smith & Boone,

2000).

Introduction

Studies on communication in an online learning environment.

› Emails: created a sense of personable-ness (Tu, 2002).

› Discussion boards: Online students received better grades and knowledge when participating in discussion (Althaus, 1997).

Introduction

Online students use of the chat room have demonstrated more:

› Questioning› Replying› Thought provoking comments

(Paulus & Phipps, 2008).

Introduction

In an online environment, this study attempts to demonstrate:

› A chapter relevant chat study session, prior to an exam, can help students obtain better grades on the exam.

History

Student success had been established, in a study that used different types of electronic communication (Lavooy & Newlin, 2003).

Chat room participation can provide crucial information for the instructors:› Knowing who was engaged and

understood the material, (Lavooy & Newlin, 2003).

History

Instant feedback & anonymous atmosphere motivated students to share, (Rutter, 2006).

The anonymous factor allowed students who were too shy or embarrassed to participate in discussing the course material in person › Ask questions with less fear and more

articulation than in person (Rutter, 2006).

History

Students felt comfortable within their online group members in association within a chat room (Janssen, Erkens, Kirschner & Kanselaar, 2009).

Chat room activity developed a bond between students that created an atmosphere for better learning in an online environment (Pelowski, Frissell, Cabral & Yu, 2005).

History

A study demonstrated a positive correlation between chat room behaviors and student performance.

There was also a link between chat room intimacy and learning (Pelowski, Frissell, Cabral & Yu, 2005).

Purpose of this study

The online learning environment can be an effective way to learn material with proper communication tools. › This can be as adequate for students as a

traditional classroom. Study sessions conducted online could

have a positive effect on student’s experiences, learning and grades.

Purpose of this study

To further demonstrate the effectiveness of the chat room for online students, this study looks at exam scores. › The outcome of chat room study sessions

could improve exam scores.

Hypothesis

Students, who participate in a chapter-relevant, online chat study session, will have better scores on a chapter exam than those who simply read the text and participate in a non-relevant chat.

MethodParticipants 14 undergraduate students having an AOL AIM

account. Apparatus A 1500 word, paraphrased copy of chapter 7,

“Work and Retirement,” › The Journey of Adulthood 6th edition by Barbara

Bjorklund and Helen Bee, Pearson Prentice Hall (2008). An online exam from the publishers companion

website: › 10 multiple choice questions › 16 matching terms

A computer lab

Method

Procedure 15 minutes read the text 15 minutes chat session

› Test group discussed the text› Control group discussed movies

25 minutes for exam taken online Scores recorded

Results

Participants engaged in a chapter relevant chat study session earned significantly higher test scores, › (M = 22.57, SD = 3.55)

compared to those engaged in a non chapter relevant chat study session › (M = 16.71, SD = 3.77), t(12) = -2.99, p

= .011. 

0

5

10

15

20

25

Mean SD

RelevantNon-relevant

Results

Discussion

This provides online instructors with a great way of communicating in order to:› Correct any misinformation› Drive home important points › Answer questions. › Judge who is learning and who is struggling

Discussion

Observations made in this study:› Openness of students during the chat

study session, who: Clarified details of what they read Asked questions Shared personal experiences Offered opinions Demonstrated a speed of understanding and

applying the material, all in a safe atmosphere.

Limitations

Small amount participants Timeframe of study was short

compared to a semester of an online class

Not a real class setting› Only one exam› Length of exam› Actual online students

The chat room tool used (AIM)

Future direction

To further this research on chat study sessions conducted in a chat room:› Scores could be that compared 2 online

classes where: One class had chat study sessions One class did not have chat study sessions

› Overall grades could be compared in 2 similar classes that were: Online with chat study sessions Lecture with face-to-face study sessions

Conclusion

Online chat study sessions can further enhance the learning environment for students in a virtual classroom.

Understanding the virtual classroom and what make it successful in today’s technologically advanced societies, is the future in educational research, as the internet and online education has crossed boundaries of cities, states and countries.

References

Althaus, S. L. (1997). Computer-mediated communication in the university classroom: An experiment with online discussions. Communication Education, 46(3).

TU, C. (2002). The measurement of social presence in an online learning environment. International Journal on E-Learning,1(2).

Lavooy, M. J. & Newlin, M. H. (2003). Computer mediated communication: Online instruction and interactivity. Journal of Interactive Learning a Research, 14(2).

Pelowski, S., Frissell, L., Cabral, K., & Yu, T. (2005). So far but yet so close: student chat room immediacy, learning, and performance in an online course. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 16(4).

Rutter, M. (2006). Tutorial chat: A case study of synchronous communication in a learning environment. ALT-J Research in Learning Technology, 14(2).

Wang, A., Newlin, M., & Tucker, T. (2001). A discourse analysis of online classroom chats: Predictors of cyber-student performance. Teaching of Psychology, 28(3).