Supplementing the Blend: Exploring Student Participation in a Q&A Forum in Relation to Course Performance

Abstract

One commonly used learning tool in blended university courses is the online discussion forum. Research indicates that online interaction contributes to learning, but investigations of its influence on students’ academic performance have yielded mixed results. This study explores the online behaviour of students in a question-and-answer (Q&A) forum in relation to their course performance. The Q&A forum was implemented to support students’ knowledge progression in academic course concepts. Quantitative research showed that 36.5% of the students (N = 170) did not use the forum, 20% used the forum actively by viewing (i.e., reading) or posting (i.e., writing) and 43.5% viewed the forum incidentally. Most activity took place near the end of the course, which could be a symptom of procrastination. Online behaviour patterns were identified by performing a hierarchical cluster analysis. Three clusters were determined and labelled: non-users, parsimonious readers, and active readers and writers. Active readers and writers scored significantly higher on the course exam than the non-users (Cohen’s d = 0.40). However, assignment scores did not differ between clusters. These results indicate that participation in the Q&A forum is potentially beneficial for learning of course concepts but less effective for the application of knowledge to a practical assignment.