...The establishment of an online community is widely held as the most important prerequisite for successful course completion and depends on an interaction between a peer group and a facilitator. Beaudoin reasoned that online students sometimes engage and learn even when not taking part in online discussions. The context of this study was an online course on web-based education for a Masters degree in computer-integrated education at the University of Pretoria. We used a mixed methodology approach to investigate how online activity and discussion postings relate to learning and course completion. We also investigated how student collaborative behaviour and integration into the community related to success. Although the quantitative indices measured showed highly significant differences between the stratifications of student performance, there were notable exceptions unexplained by the trends. The class harboured a well-functioning online learning community. We also uncovered the discontent students in the learning community felt for invisible students who were absent without reason from group assignments or who made shallow and insufficient contributions. Student online visibility and participation can take many forms, like read-only participants who skim over or deliberately harvest others' discussions. Other students can be highly visible without contributing. Students who anticipate limited access due to poor connectivity, high costs or other reasons can manage their log-in time...
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...Article Summary: Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes As technology advances more and more, computers and internet have become more accessible, affordable, and ever so popular in recent times. With easy accessibility to internet, the online learning environment is a growing trend. Schools all over the nation offer online programs and fast earning degrees. Students from different demographics and age groups fill online classrooms making it even more popular. However, with such diversity in the classroom how does the instructor control communication in the classroom? Does the lack of participation from fellow students influence the learning environment? What are some of the different types of students often found in the online classes environment? This article will summarize the main points found in a research based on a case study prepared by Nagel, Blignaut, and Cronjé. With extensive research, investigation, and observations Nagel et. al.(2007) put together an article highlighting the importance of communication in the online classes. Noticing a significant drop-out rate in online classes, they were determined to research what affected this rate and which aspects of the online classes were setting students behind. The authors used different methods to gather data to support their findings, and used different articles to incorporate their research and back up their conclusions. In order to analyze student participation they "presented...
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...Article Summary Read-Only Participants: A Case For Student Communication In Online Classes Enrolment for online courses is booming, however there is a significantly lower rate of success to these classes than in the traditional classroom enviroment The article “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” discusses the role of communication in online courses as well as explaining why some students succeed and others fail. An 8 week study was done on a web based Master’s program. Online communication, class participation and group assignments were monitored Students fell into three categories: Distinction(75% or higher), Pass (50% - 74%) and Fail (less than 50%). Students that were successful read a significant amount of course material, participated actively in discussions (via posts) where they used high critical thinking skills. The online communities were high functioning and healthy. The facilitator (professor) greatly influenced the outcome of the class. The more interaction he had with the class through feedback and possitive comments, the better the class involvement. The unsuccessful students shared various factors. Coursework was not completed and they read only about half of the online course material. They scored low on colaboration and posted significantly fewer discussions than those that passed or excelled. The amount of peer interaction influences the quality of learning The read only student logged in often...
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...Article Summary Read-Only Participants: a Case for Student Communication in Online Classes Article Summary Read-Only Participants: A Case For Student Communication In Online Classes Enrolment for online courses is booming, however there is a significantly lower rate of success to these classes than in the traditional classroom environment The article “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” discusses the role of communication in online courses as well as explaining why some students succeed and others fail. An 8 week study was done on a web based Master’s program. Online communication, class participation and group assignments were monitored Students fell into three categories: Distinction (75% or higher), Pass (50% - 74%) and Fail (less than 50%). Students that were successful read a significant amount of course material, participated actively in discussions (via posts) where they used high critical thinking skills. The online communities were high functioning and healthy. The facilitator (professor) greatly influenced the outcome of the class. The more interaction he had with the class through feedback and positive comments, the better the class involvement. The unsuccessful students shared various factors. Coursework was not completed and they read only about half of the online course material. They scored low on collaboration and posted significantly fewer discussions than those that passed or excelled. The amount of peer interaction...
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...College of Education Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes The article “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” used a “mixed methodology approach to investigate how online activity and discussion postings relate to learning and course completion” (Nagela, Blignautb, & Cronje´, 2009). They also “investigated how student collaborative behavior and integration into the community related to success” (Nagela, Blignautb & Cronje´, 2009). The dropout rates for online courses can be as high as 50 percent, which is higher for equivalent traditional courses (Nagela, Blignautb, & Cronje´, 2009). Several aspects affect a read only participant. If the facilitator doesn’t entertain certain students as they learn and they do not feel instant gratification from participating actively in online discussions and then those students will simply stop participating and therefore will not benefit from peer-to-peer learning. Some lurkers may lack confidence to participate, may be introverted, or be a novice student and not understand the material or assignment (Nagela, Blignautb, & Cronje´, 2009). Some read only participants may care about themselves alone and are satisfied that their own learning needs are being met. Lastly, some may not be convinced that the course will benefit them and will not put the time or effort into the course work. The question is are these non-participants still legitimately learning...
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...Summary Read-Only Participants: A case for student communication in online classes. Online learning is conducive to that of the traditional onsite learning facilities. There are some students who fully participate in the experience as well as those who take their learning environments for granted. A summary of the required reading “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” will support the noted claim. The study was completed to measure the various behaviors of the online learner. The research gathered the behaviors of students participating the in a Master’s degree web-based curriculum through the University of Pretoria. Beaudoin is noted as one of the greatest contributors to this case study. The study was broken into various parts. To support the introduction and conclusion of the study, the body included: Background, Literature, Context of this study, Methodology, and the Discussion. A breakdown of each subtopic of this study will be discussed in this summary. I have taken several online classes prior to reading this study and I found it to be very supportive to my conclusive evaluation of the practice. Although this study was completed in 2009, I can relate that my prior experiences in online classes were parallel to the researcher’s findings. The introduction made the reader aware that there are challenges to online learning and that “the establishment of an online community is widely held as the most important prerequisite...
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...A Case for Participation in Online Courses Tim Colgate Grand Canyon University: UNV 501 6/25/2012 A Case for Participation in Online Courses Online computer courses/degrees are becoming more frequent as technology improves and the availability of technology is greater. This article “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” (Nagel, Blignaut, Cronje 2007) analyzes data from several studies and suggests that active participation, as opposed to non-active participation, is directly correlated to student achievement. Read-Only Participants The term Read-only participants refers to online students who log into a specific classroom website, read the material provided or student post’s but do not get actively involved in the discussion. Buedouin (2002) suggested that read-only participants can learn and succeed in an online setting without participating (Nagel, Blinaught, & Cronje, 2007). However research by: Nagel, Blinaught, & Cronje (2007); Klemm (1998); Rovai & Barnum (2003); Swan, Shea, Frederickson, Pickett, & Pelz (2000), indicate that participation is essential to be a successful online student. Read-only students also have the tendency to create a negative environment within an online learning environment, with other having the perception that the read-only student does not care and does not want to contribute. This is extremely evident when they are in a collaborative learning environment and participation in a...
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...Summary - Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes Tonia Ray Grand Canyon University: UNV-501 January 30, 2013 Summary - Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes More than ever, online classes are becoming a viable approach and solution for students pursuing undergraduate and secondary degrees. However, the accessibility to these classes does not guarantee all online students are receiving a quality education. Recent studies have shown that as online course enrollment increases, issues with assignment completion, lower quality work, and dropout rates have risen. One study revealed the drop-out rate for online students is 20 to 50% (Nagel, Blignaut, & Cronje, 2009), (as cited in Bernard et al., 2004). In their research, Nagel, Blignaut, and Cronje (2009) like Klemm (1998), Rovani, and Barnum (2003) felt it was essential to be participative in online discussions to be successful in a web-based learning environment. The study also revealed that within the virtual community of learners there exist two types of students that pose a risk to the online learning community, legitimate non-participation and inadvertent non-participation read-only participation. Legitimate non-participation students avoid the stage and are content observing others and contribute little to the success of the group. This type of student does not share personal learning experiences and feeds off group ideas...
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..."Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes" In the article titled "Read-only participants; a case for student communication in online classes" impairs the importance of community and communication in online courses. It also discusses the reason students succeed or fail in online classes. To discover the concerns listed above, a study of eight weeks was conducted on students. The study monitored classroom activity as well as communication among students coming from diverse backgrounds. Such examples are geographical location, race, gender and age. The study resulted in both success and failure. Both were discovered and documented. With the results of success the following findings were noted: firstly online courses that had discussions where students and teachers would interact had a positive effect on introverted individuals. In a traditional classroom these students would have participated less but now found a voice in the virtual classroom. Secondly, the skills necessary in an online classroom can improve higher order thinking as well as critical thinking. This was done by the discussion forums and posts that required students to apply and create learned knowledge. Thirdly, a professor that had great involvement with his class became a positive feature by providing encouragement and support through posts. As a result of the instructors involvement students were eager to become more involved in the discussions. In addition to results...
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...University Title: UNV-5: Article Summary This article titled “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” discussed the importance of communication in online courses as well as the reasons why students succeed or fail in these online courses. To obtain answers to the concerns previously listed, an 8 week study of students in an online class was conducted. This study consisted of monitoring online communication and classroom activity among students with different backgrounds with geographical location and age being two of the main contributing factors. From this study, results of both success and failure were discovered and documented. From the aspect of success, the following results were found: First, classes that had online discussion helped students that would normally be introverts in a traditional class, to be active in discussions. Second, this type of class helped to improve the learning of students by creating questions and answers (in the form of posts) of high critical thinking skills. Third, online discussions that were developed created a community of support and healthy interaction (L. Nagel, et al., 2007). Fourth, the facilitator (professor) that was very interactive with his class became a great asset to the online class because he provided feedback and affirmations to the students through posted replies. Because of the interaction of the facilitator, students became more involved with the class. Results from failures...
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...Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes Robert Thierfelder Grand Canyon University Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes The notion of an online community for learning is a relatively new concept. Understanding of this phenomenon is the essence of this article. The exploration of the interaction between the students has an interesting conclusion. According to Nagel, L.; Blignaut, A. S.; Cronje, J. C. (2006) Beaudoin 2006 says, “The establishment of an online community is widely held as the most important prerequisite for successful course completion and depends on an interaction between a peer group and a facilitator. Online students sometimes engage and learn even when not taking part in online discussions.” (p. 15) It shows that quality interaction between individuals is essential to the success of the student. The article Nagel, L.; Blignaut, A. S.; Cronje, J. C. (2006) concluded that, “Read-only participants disrupt the formation of a virtual community of learners and compromise learning.” (P. 15) this, is an intriguing conclusion. One can now conclude that somewhat absente students, who are not real contributors, interrupt the student body. It can be therefore concluded that student participation by all students within the community, is essential. It would seem that even though the community is on-line and there is no physical interaction, a community developed. In...
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...summary is about the article titled “Read –Only Participants: A Case For a Student Communication in Online Classes” is about the value of communication in online modules as well as the success a scholar experiences when they pass an online module. The purpose of this article is to explain what the researchers conducted in an eight-week analysis of students from the online module. The analysis used the strategy to observe online communication and classroom activity used by the student’s primary dynamics like diversity, geography, and maturity. Additionally, the data gathered by Nagel et al (2009) about the scholar’s success and failures were documented. When they had a completed online module they concluded that the modules that had the discussion forums invited the student’s to be proactive in interaction with fellow students and the instructor. By writing quality responses, a student’s sense of community is established and communication is improved. Students having inquiries formulated by the instructor or fellow students that have been commented on by the instructor or the other students, have enhanced the online modules. Without the communication between the instructor and the students the online module would fail. When a student is not successful with their goal to complete the module it is because of lack of communication with the students and the instructor. The purpose of the article is to encourage communication within the online module environment. The reasons for...
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...Philosophy and Psychology Summary- Read Only Participants In: Philosophy and Psychology Summary- Read Only Participants A Case for Participation in Online Courses Tim Colgate Grand Canyon University: UNV 501 6/25/2012 A Case for Participation in Online Courses Online computer courses/degrees are becoming more frequent as technology improves and the availability of technology is greater. This article “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” (Nagel, Blignaut, Cronje 2007) analyzes data from several studies and suggests that active participation, as opposed to non-active participation, is directly correlated to student achievement. Read-Only Participants The term Read-only participants refers to online students who log into a specific classroom website, read the material provided or student post’s but do not get actively involved in the discussion. Buedouin (2002) suggested that read-only participants can learn and succeed in an online setting without participating (Nagel, Blinaught, & Cronje, 2007). However research by: Nagel, Blinaught, & Cronje (2007); Klemm (1998); Rovai & Barnum (2003); Swan, Shea, Frederickson, Pickett, & Pelz (2000), indicate that participation is essential to be a successful online student. Read-only students also have the tendency to create a negative environment within an online learning environment, with other having the perception that the read-only student does not care and does not want...
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...Read-only participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes Grand Canyon University: UNIV 501 9 July 2011 A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes This article explains the importance of participation, interaction, and communication in the virtual classroom between the students and instructors. Many students today are enrolling in online classes to continue their education. Inside the online classroom, students began to meet and greet through discussion forums. Once a relationship and trust has been established between the students and instructors, an online community has been formed within that classroom. Students and their instructors will learn, communicate, and interact with one another throughout the course. Initially, everyone starts out participating in the online discussion forums, but then the true slackers make their appearance apparent in the online classroom. Some students log into the classroom, but show little or no involvement in the classroom or lack input in the discussion forums. This eventually creates a big problem in the online classroom. Due to the lack of log ins, participation, and interaction dismantles the classroom as a whole. A research study was done to show how the students who participated very little could cause disorder in the online classroom community and risk online learning. Background Many education programs have become recognizable and...
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...Article Review Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes W. Osborne Grand Canyon University: UNV 501 7 July 2013 Nagel, L., Blignaut, A. S., & Cronje, J. C. (2009). Read-only participants: A case study for student communication in online classes. Interactive Learning Environments, 17(1), 37-51. According to a recent survey of college presidents conducted by the Pew Research Center, more than three-quarters of America’s universities and colleges now offer online courses (Lenhart, Moore & Parker, 2011). The number of students enrolling in online courses or degree programs each year indicates the popularity of the distance-learning platform, but overall, success rates are low (Shreck, 2006). Bernard (2004) found that dropout rates for students enrolled in online courses were 10-20% higher than in face-to-face courses. The author’s literature review uncovered Klemm’s work (1998) which blamed conditioning of traditional students to passivity in the classroom as a major impediment to online success. Questions and Methodology The authors questioned how online participation related to learning and successful course completion, measured in throughput rates, and how participation influenced the learning community (Nagel et. al, 2009). The authors chose to facilitate and monitor an eight-week online course in the computer science field at the University of Praetoria in South Africa consisting of a cohort of twenty-two students of various age...
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