The lack of interaction among learners and instructors has been a prevalent scholastic problem among Philippine educational institutions upon the insurgence of online classes (Biana et al., 2020). The deprivation of efficient and versatile communication tools makes it scholastically challenging among academicians to remain connected, resulting in a lack of educational correspondence (Abramenka, 2015). This barrier of communication during online learning prompted numerous researchers to explore more about it and to examine online forums as a potential interactive learning platform. Hence, in this literature review, studies, validated by exploratory factor analysis, regarding the lack of educational interaction during online learning and the potential of online forums to address the problem are the focus of the discussion.
A study conducted by Cheung & Hew (2013) on the employment of Knowledge Forum, an asynchronous online software, aimed at expanding the scholastic interaction among 48 Chinese college students. Data were collected through the execution of academic interviews, assessment of students’ reflection logs and online discussion transcripts, and employment of a questionnaire survey. Results accumulated from both interviews and transcripts explicated that the reduced social dominance of online forums increased the interaction among the majority (95.83%) of the respondents. This is commensurate with the assertion of Rani (2013) that text-based interactions can diminish stereotyping associated with high social ranks, physical disabilities, and cultural differences. Thus, online forums can expurgate a significant barrier to participation.
Similarly, an investigation led by Seethamraju (2014) on the adequacy of Education Research International Forum, an online discussion platform, aimed at observing a significant improvement in student learning through the guidance of the forenamed online platform. Data were gathered from the survey responses of 48 Australian students majoring in Chemistry. Results suggested that the students were initially reluctant to use the interactive platform, but the majority (81.25%) of respondents were eventually inclined as they became more acquainted with the software. Thus, it was extrapolated that the approach was a compelling learning tool for students, which succored them to subjugate their own language-related barriers and invigorated them to engage in a non-threatening environment.
Meanwhile, a study conducted by Ryan (2013) on the impact of online discussion forums on students’ correspondence aimed at determining the appositeness and effectiveness of Desire2Learn (D2L), an online software, in the development of an engaging learning environment for college students. A total of 50 American sophomore students majoring in Microbiology participated in the study. Data were collected from the students' responses in the Collaborative Learning, Satisfaction, and Social Presence (CLSS) questionnaire and were examined through correlational analysis to establish a significant relationship between academic satisfaction and social presence. Results elucidated that 68% of the participants learned substantially from their colleagues and instructors, while 60% of the respondents enhanced their learning quality. Subsequently, it was explicated that online forums are plausible pedagogical tools that can effectively revamp student learning.
Similarly, an examination conducted by Mokoena (2013) on the implementation of D2L aimed at ascertaining the feasibility of the forenamed platform in enhancing scholastic collaboration. Data were gathered from the survey responses of 25 American college students and the instructor’s assessment of the students’ academic participation for 3 months. Results from the survey elucidated that out of the 25 participants, 20 students (80%) asserted that the asynchronous discussions were extremely advantageous, 3 of them (12%) expressed that the forums were slightly beneficial, while the remaining 2 respondents (0.08%) affirmed that the asynchronous discussions were not helpful at all. On the other hand, based on the instructor’s examination of the students’ academic performances, excellent marks (97-100%) were given to 9 students (36%) in the first month, 13 participants (52%) in the second month, and 18 students (72%) on the last month. Consequently, it was extrapolated that online forums are credible interactive learning platforms.
On the other hand, an investigation executed by Lata & Luhach (2014) on the employment of online forum as a collaborative learning platform using exploratory factor-based analysis aimed at ascertaining the viability of Nalanda, a learning management system generated on Moodle, in providing understudies a platform to collaborate and discuss with their colleagues and educators. A class of 42 Indian students was utilized as the respondent group and was divided into two – Group A that utilized Nalanda and Group B that did not. Data collected from the students’ performances in speech writing, measured by the marks in their assignments for 2 weeks, were utilized for the analysis. A pivotal finding in the study divulged that Group A received higher marks, with an average of 6.56 (93.71%), compared to Group B, with an average of 4.82 (68.86%). This has subsequently illuminated that the enhancement of educational interaction augments students’ linguistic and cognitive competence.
Finally, similar to the aforementioned investigation, a study conducted by Aharony et al. (2018) on the employment of Nalanda as an academic communication tool aimed at determining the impact of the forenamed platform in enhancing scholarly interactions and performances. A total of 22 Indian understudies partook in the examination and was grouped into two – the Active Group that utilized Nalanda and the Lurker Group that did not. Data were collected through the execution of an interview and evaluation of the students’ academic performances. A fundamental finding from the interview explicated that out of the 11 students in the Active Group, 9 understudies (81.82%) asserted that the implementation of online forums was scholastically helpful. On the contrary, 10 participants (90.91%) from the Lurker Group expressed that the absence of asynchronous discussions made it difficult for the group to efficiently learn. Meanwhile, results from the students’ assessments elucidated that 10 respondents (90.91%) from the Active Group received exemplary marks (95- 100%), while only 8 students (72.73%) from the Lurker Group received the aforesaid marks. Accordingly, the results suggest that the implementation of online forums may amplify scholastic association and augment intellectual learning quality.
After examining all the aforesaid studies regarding the employment of online forums, the researchers may have been reasonable to claim that their findings, which were acquired from various surveys and interviews, contribute to the improvement of intellectual learning and scholastic correspondence among academicians.
In conclusion, all the aforementioned studies regarding online forums attempted to corroborate their potential as interactive learning platforms. Findings explicated that the asynchronous discussions have truncated the gap among academicians and amplified cognitive learning. These investigations have likewise elucidated that the lack of scholastic interaction during online learning, as a result of insufficient communication tools, has been a major academic problem for various educational institutions. However, the employment of factor analysis in scrutinizing the appositeness of online forums was essential and propitious. Through an exploratory factor-based approach, the interrelationships among the recognized factors, which comprised of the existence of online forum, level of academic participation, and refinement of intellectual learning, were compendiously examined. Hence, the forenamed studies have provided logical data concerning the adequacy of online forums as collaborative learning platforms.
Sources
Abramenka, V. (2015). Students’ motivations and barriers to online education. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1775&context=the see
Aharony, N., Bronstein, J., Gazit, T., Ilan, J., Hamburger, Y., & Perez, O. (2018). Active participants and lurkers in online discussion groups: an exploratory analysis of focus group interviews and observation. http://informationr.net/ ir/23-2/paper791.html
Biana, H., Dacela, M., & Joaquin, J. (2020, October 22). The Philippine higher education sector in the time of COVID-19. Frontiers of Education. https:// doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.576371
Cheung, W. & Hew, K. (2013). An exploratory study on the use of asynchronous online discussion in hypermedia design. Journal of Instructional Science & Technology, 6(1).
Lata, P. & Luhach, S. (2014). An exploratory investigation of online forum mediated collaborative learning of speech writing: A case study. Journal on English Language Teaching, 4(1).
Mokoena, S. (2013). Engagement with and participation in online discussion forums. The Online Journal of Educational Technology, 12(2).
Rani, M. (2013). Cross culture: A hurdle in communication. Global Institute for Research & Education, 2(1).
Ryan, R. (2013). The effect of online discussion forums on student learning and student perception of learning in a science course at the community college level. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/207
Seethamraju, R. (2014). Effectiveness of using online discussion forum for case study analysis. Education Research International, 2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/ 2014/589860