Interaction patterns and knowledge construction using synchronous discussion forums and video to develop oral skills

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of using streaming video and synchronous discussion forums to provide feedback to a presenter in an oral skills tutorial. A pilot online tutorial was trialled with a group of 13 students enrolled for English Proficiency at the Nanyang Technological University. A survey was administered to collect information on the participants’ perception of their learning. Discourse threads created on the discussion forum were also analysed to evaluate the effectiveness of the online activity. Students felt the forum supported their learning and enhanced their understanding. The findings also showed a high level of student involvement in the oral activity. The quality of knowledge in the form of the feedback constructed by students was a significant finding in this study. The feedback jointly constructed by students was found to be accurate and insightful without requiring much involvement from the moderator or tutor. Synchronous discussion forums and streaming video were found to be effective tools for teaching oral skills.