Enhancing Student Engagement and Structured Learning in Online Discussion Forums

Abstract

Discussion forums remain an important component in student engagement and learning in many online courses, but current research suggests that refining their pedagogical design could significantly enhance their effectiveness. The Worksheet Video Walk Formula offers one such option. Drawing on scaffolding and question techniques, the worksheet structures the interactive learning tasks closely around the concepts and skills to be learned, while the video walk reinforces students’ connection and engagement with the task activities. This article discusses the pedagogical challenges in designing and implementing the Formula in a large (104 students) second-year English literature course on the short story. The impact of the Formula on the quality of student interaction with concepts and texts as well as their development of close reading and critical thinking skills is assessed, and future applications are explored. This study has implications for teacher presence in discussion forums, learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and online pedagogy in large classes.