Felicia R. Whitney
Grand Canyon University: UNV 503
June 26, 2013
Unconventional Learners Do Not Make the Grade “Read-Only Participants: A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes’ discusses the formation of an online community as the most significant criterion for efficacious completion and is contingent on collaboration between peers and instructor. Beaudoin reasoned that online students occasionally absorb and acquire knowledge while not taking part in online discussions. There was a diverse sampling method to scrutinize how online activity and discussion postings compared to learning and course completion. It was also investigated how student shared conduct and assimilation into the community linked to attainment. Although the quantifiable guides measured showed decidedly substantial differences amongst the stratifications of student performance, there were remarkable exceptions not able to be explained. Students had issues ranging from connectivity to high costs in connecting. Online course admissions continue to increase, retention and success rates in such courses and programs are frequently reported as typically lower than those delivered in a traditional classroom format. Those in leadership roles that support online students want to play a major role in reversing that movement. Their research indicates that online participation is essential to guarantee positive course completion. Clark and Feldon (2005) determined that an instructor which interacts with students assists students from dropping their course. A student that participates and become part of a cybernetic community allows them to have ‘buy in’ and participate with their ongoing education. Some participants’ were required to participate as part of the study felt they learned adequately by mere observation. This article responds to Beaudoin’s (2002) article ‘‘Learning or lurking? Students still learn by
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