Research finds that engaging students in online deliberations requires three components: (1) designing a space specifically for deliberations, (2) a structured pattern that requires consistent interactions, and (3) a process guided by academically guided outcomes. Using these three components, deliberations become a routine where students share…

In 2021, I completed an instructional redesign of an online section of a general education (GE) course titled "Criticizing Television." The redesign focused on utilizing Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TiLT) to create more meaningful engagement and deeper learning opportunities through discussion boards. Using the action research…

Online collaborative learning (OCL) based on the community of inquiry (CoI) framework is often implemented in the form of an online discussion activity for teaching subjects that require learners to revise their understandings and invent ways to solve problems. However, implementing OCL is challenging due to the difficulty of fostering…

This study examines the impact of feedback assisted by generative artificial intelligence (GAI) on the dynamics and outcomes of online inquiry-based discussions (IBDs) in a higher education context. Specifically, it compares two distinct feedback types powered by GAI: idea-oriented and task-oriented. The study involved 105 preservice teachers from…

Help-seeking is an essential tool for student success. Still, students, especially those underrepresented in STEM (UR-STEM) and those underrepresented in chemistry (UR-Chem), may be reluctant to employ help-seeking for academic success. Understanding help-seeking in online courses is crucial for developing equitable learning environments where…

Distance learning is becoming increasingly prevalent. If education is a community affair, how do we digitally design the conditions for learning at a distance for our students? This research examines a distance learning environment within a Master's Degree course created using online discussion forums, based upon the Community of Inquiry model…

The shift of evidence-based, active and inquiry-based pedagogy to online modalities has typically been done with a synchronous model, using video conferencing technology to facilitate interaction and collaboration amongst students. Such an approach can be infeasible for some students and create inequitable situations within a class. This paper…

Project-based learning (PjBL) engages students in knowledge acquisition, application, and construction through artefact development. Based on the Community of Inquiry framework, this study characterized college students' social and cognitive presences in online PjBL and examined how presence was related to their academic performance. Twenty-four…

This study investigated the dynamics of complex interactions within inquiry-based (IB) discussions by visualizing patterns using social network analysis. Researchers explored network measures when learners participated in inquiry-based discussions with Practical Inquiry Model (PIM) and non-PIM questions while playing the weekly moderator's role.…

This study examines influence of online text-based discussions for secondary school students. It aims to analyze students' shares and views with the goal of exploring the implications of online synchronous text-based discussions held in the Information Technology and Software lessons. It was carried out as a case study in which 10 discussion…

Purpose: Adaptivity has long been recognized as a key aspect of teaching and shown to be particularly important for English Language Arts (ELA) teachers leading discussions about texts. Teachers' abilities to make such adjustments are especially important when facilitating discussions in digital contexts, as was made clear with the shift to…

The free inquiry approach based on blended learning is a learning approach that is carried out by combining face-to-face and online lectures which gives students the freedom to find problems and solve problems independently, design procedures or steps collaboratively by sharing and discussing with friends. Hence, this learning approach is…

Having discussions and working together in groups with other learners is the indicator of the collaboration aspect of engagement. Collaborative engagement can be fostered through active learning approaches, since they provide more opportunities for interaction among learners. In Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) classrooms, small…

A digital wall is a tool for students to structure and register their online work on mathematical problem-solving activities that involve the coordinated use of digital technologies. How could students use such digital wall to understand mathematical concepts and to develop problem-solving competencies? The aim of this study is to analyze and…

In this study, we work towards a strategy to measure and enhance the quality of interactions in discussion forums at scale. We present a machine learning (ML) model which identifies the phase of cognitive presence exhibited by a student's post and suggest future applications of such a model to help online students develop higher-order thinking. We…