Jiarui Xie & Ana-Paula Correia
Online learning plays a more crucial role in education than ever before. Asynchronous online discussion is one of the essential activities in online learning. Well-designed asynchronous online discussions have been found to foster student engagement (Parks-Stamm et al., 2017; Xu et al., 2020) and support student active learning (Baker et al., 2005; Murphy, 2004), critical and higher-order thinking (Frijters et al., 2008; Kwon et al., 2019; Meyer, 2003; Smith, 1977), and reflection (Hara et al., 2000). However, these remarkable effects are not achieved simply by adding asynchronous online discussions as learning activities. Many critical factors affect student performance in online learning; one is instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions (Getzlaf et al., 2009; Kwon et al., 2019; Moore, 2002; Zhang et al., 2007). Although there have been numerous studies on the effects of instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions on student performance, the findings are mixed, making it difficult for instructors to extract valuable information and apply appropriate strategies to participate in asynchronous online discussions. Meanwhile, literature reviews on this topic are currently scarce. Thus, there is a crucial need for a systematic literature review to analyze and categorize the existing studies, providing clear and valuable suggestions for instructors to participate effectively in asynchronous online discussions.
We used the following guiding questions to conduct this systematic review:
- What aspects of instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions do impact student performance?
- How does instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions affect student performance?
- What factors contribute to instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions’ impact on student performance?
This study followed the five-step systematic review process outlined in the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse Procedures Handbook, Version 4.1 (2020): (1) developing the review protocol, (2) identifying relevant literature, (3) screening studies, (4) reviewing studies, and (5) reporting on findings. Precisely, we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach (Page et al., 2021) in the identification and screening stages (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The process and result of studies selection based on PRISMA
By systematically reviewing 22 studies on the effect of instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions on student performance, this study classified the research into three categories: the presence of instructor participation, the frequency of instructor participation, and the type of instructor participation. Compared to the quantity of instructor participation, the quality of instructor participation, especially the comments and strategies used by instructors, should be given more consideration. Positive, neutral, and adverse effects were identified in five manners: the quantity of student participation, the quality of student participation, student achievements, student emotions, and student learning time. Regarding the quantity of student participation, the results were the most mixed. The positive effect of instructor participation was greater in terms of the quality of student participation, student achievements, and student emotions. Student learning time was found to be unaffected. Whether instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions can bring positive effects was influenced not only by the teaching experience of instructors but also by other factors such as course content, learning objectives, class sizes, and learner characteristics.
To help instructors effectively participate in asynchronous online discussions, the following recommendations are proposed:
- Instructors should participate in asynchronous online discussions based on the class sizes, more in small classes (within 15 students) and less in large classes (more than 30 students). If it is possible, divide the large classes into small discussion groups.
- Instructors should initiate discussions with heuristic and interesting open-ended questions, gradually release control and give the central position to students, and intervene only when necessary (e.g., keep discussions on track, provide correct information, extend discussions, and mediate conflicts).
- Instructors should apply appropriate facilitation strategies (e.g., establish detailed discussion rubrics, grade student posts, and provide regular individual feedback).
- Instructors should use more instructional comments and supplement them with sincere rather than perfunctory social comments.
- Instructors should practice asynchronous online discussions more and look for professional development in this area if needed.
This research has been published in the British Journal of Educational Technology and is available at http://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13350.
Cite as:
Xie, J., & Correia, A.-P. (2023). The effects of instructor participation in asynchronous online discussions on student performance: A systematic review. British Journal of Educational Technology, 00, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13350
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