Share Paper: Student-Moderated Online Discussion

  1. Yu-mei Wang, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
Tuesday, June 23 4:45 PM-5:45 PM Room 5

Abstract: Traditionally, the instructor takes the position of a moderator in online discussion, organizing, managing, and motivating student participation and interaction. However, the instructor’s active participation leads to several concerns. First, the instructor’s participation may suppress student voice. The instructor could pose as an authoritative figure and subject expert, which could discourage students to articulate their thoughts and perspectives. Second, the instructor’s active participation may impose a teacher-centered approach in conducting online discussion. Third, the instructor may feel overwhelmed to moderate numerous discussion groups simultaneously. This study is designed to investigate students serving as moderators in online discussion. The participants are ...