Abstract—The purpose of this study is to identify student participation characteristics within the discussion boards using a recent Blackboard Post-First setting in a graduate online course. Unlike the standard discussion forum setting, where students can typically see their peers' posts anytime, the Post-First setting requires students to post their own original response first. The new setting allows for topic focus and original responses but it discourages interactive discussions. Due to its forced and limited setting, some students expressed resistance against the Post-First condition. However, the new setting allows for even and sustained student participation throughout the course. Early posts receive more feedback from peers than do posts done at a later time.
 

Index Terms—online course, discussion forums, post-first setting, student participation characteristics

Cite: Sunah Cho, "Student Participation Characteristics within the Discussion Boards with Post-First Setting: A Case Study in a Graduate Online Course," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 32-36, March 2018. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.4.1.32-36