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Effects of Role-Play for Problem-Solving Skills and Engagement in Online Forums

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Educational Technology to Improve Quality and Access on a Global Scale

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Abstract

The body of research found that it is difficult to improve the quality of an online discussion experience because of the affordances and the limitations of asynchronous online communication technologies (An et al., Comput Educ 53: 749–760, 2009; Bachner, Cases on critical and qualitative perspectives in online higher education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2014; Dennen and Wieland, Dis Educ 28(3): 281–297, 2007; Rourke and Kanuka, J Dis Educ 23(1): 19–48, 2009; Thomas, J Comput Assist Learn 18: 351–366, 2002). To address this issue, this study investigated an instructional strategy to increase engagement using a collaborative role-play online discussion where students assumed different roles. This study aimed to assess the quality of interaction by means of the Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) for examining social construction of knowledge and of learning experiences of teachers during computer conferencing designed to learn problem-solving skills. Two major models guided the study: Problem Solving Approach Model (Branford and Stein, The IDEAL problem solver: A guide for improving thinking, learning, and creativity. New York, NY: Freeman, 1993) and Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) for Computer-Mediated Communication rooted in social constructivist theory (Gunawardena et al., J Educ Comput Res 17(4): 397–431, 1997). After analyzing the progress of the discussion transcripts, this study found that the role-play discussion constructed better knowledge socially and improved higher mental operation. The threaded discussion postings from four structured online debates showed that the algorithmic format of problem-solving steps promoted and were closely interrelated to five phases of IAM. The study also found that this problem-solving exercise through computer-mediated communication helped teachers be equipped with a frame of reference to the problems, which resulted in helping teachers to establish boundaries, name problems, form opinions, and uncover solutions (Entman, J Commun 43(4): 51–58, 1993; Goffman, Frame analysis: An essay on the organization of experience. London: Harper and Row, 1974). This study will benefit online instructors as well as instructional designers who strive to find ways to make online discussion engaging.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Greg Dzuiban for providing solid proofreading tirelessly in the process of editing the manuscript. I also would like to thank my students who participated in my study for providing me with the honest and detailed reflection on their experiences of taking my course. Without their help, this chapter will be not in print.

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  1. Armstrong State University, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA, 31419, USA

    Jackie Hee Young Kim

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  1. Jackie Hee Young Kim
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Correspondence to Jackie Hee Young Kim .

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  1. University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA

    Kay A. Persichitte

  2. The Indonesian Professional Association for Educational Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia

    Atwi Suparman

  3. Department of Learning Technologies, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA

    Michael Spector

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Kim, J.H.Y. (2018). Effects of Role-Play for Problem-Solving Skills and Engagement in Online Forums. In: Persichitte, K., Suparman, A., Spector, M. (eds) Educational Technology to Improve Quality and Access on a Global Scale. Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66227-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66227-5_8

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