How Group Size and Structure of Online Discussion Forums Influence Student Engagement and Learning

Abstract

There are many challenges to simulate the experience of a professional facing a complex situation in a discussion of a case study using an online discussion forum. The current research examines the role of two aspects of discussion forum format (group size and discussion structure) on two outcome variables (student engagement and learning). We hypothesized that more structured discussions would better enable student learning but be worse in facilitating student engagement compared with less structured discussions. We also hypothesized that larger group sizes will be more conducive to student learning but be less effective at student engagement when compared with smaller group sizes. Our study found that neither discussion forum structure nor group size influenced either student engagement or learning independently. However, they did have a significant interaction effect on both student learning and student engagement.