Implications of Message Length and Delay in Undergraduate Online Discussions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.25.2.32810

Keywords:

discussion, social learning, didactic use of computer, educational technology, network analysis, university

Abstract

This study aimed at verifying the association of message length and delay in university online discussions with academic achievement and students’ influence on their classmates. Forums in Moodle were designed, and asynchronous online discussions with first-year undergraduate students of Educational Sciences were conducted. We gained word count from the learning management system, the weekly delay in posting a message to the forum was regarded, and we assumed the students’ grades to know their academic success. To obtain an indicator of influence, we conducted a social network analysis from the interactions that emerged from the online discussions. Then, we calculated the eigenvector centrality of each student once the debate had been completed. Results showed a low monotonic association between grades and the message words or the delay in posting. There was a slight trend to achieve more eigenvector centrality since students took more time to send a message and when messages were more synthetic. However, we did not obtain values in the coefficients that would allow us to infer a relevant association. The level of correlation detected for the grades was significant and, above all, regarding eigenvector centrality. We discussed the limitations of this study, the need for more research, and the implications for educational practice.

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Author Biographies

Inmaculada López-Francés, Universidad de Valencia, UV (Spain)

Associate Professor at the Department of Educational Theory, University of Valencia, Spain. She is a member of the Research Group of University Pedagogy and Teaching-Learning Strategies and participated in five RD projects, coordinating one of them. Her research interests are gender and diversity in Higher Education.

Fran J. Garcia-Garcia, Universidad de Valencia, UV (Spain)

Assistant Professor at the Department of Educational Theory and Social Pedagogy, National University of Distance Education, Spain. His work deals with learning difficulties and processes, and his latest publications offer collaborative methods for solving asynchronous online learning problems with university students.

Bernardo Gargallo López, Universidad de Valencia, UV (Spain)

Full Professor at the Department of Educational Theory, University of Valencia, Spain. He leads the Research Group on University Pedagogy and Teaching-Learning Strategies and has won several national awards for educational research. He has participated in fifteen RD projects, directing eleven of them, and occupied different management positions, such as vice-dean or department head.

Cristian Molla-Esparza, Universidad de Valencia, UV (Spain)

Assistant Professor at the Department of Research Methods and Diagnostics in Education, National University of Distance Education, Spain. His main research interests are educational research methods and measurements. His research interests also comprise the assessments of the methodological quality of primary studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.

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Published

2022-04-05

How to Cite

López-Francés, I., Garcia-Garcia, F. J., Gargallo López, B., & Molla-Esparza, C. (2022). Implications of Message Length and Delay in Undergraduate Online Discussions. RIED. Revista Iberoamericana De Educación a Distancia, 25(2), 259–276. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.25.2.32810

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 2 (2022): Special Issue. Complex Digital Horizons in the Future of Education 4.0: Insights from UNESCO Recommendations

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Research and Case Studies

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