Conceptual Discussion and Qualitative Case †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Conceptual Discussion and Qualitative Case. Answer: Introduction: In the course of this unit study, I have had opportunity to interact with other students online through the discussion board where I would make comments on what other people had done, post my own ideas and receive feedback, even criticism. Apart from receiving feedback, I also gave other students feedback on what they wrote and what they learned in the course. The discussions were largely useful, and it has been an equally god experience as it has helped me appreciate that different people have different viewpoints and provided me with different perspectives on interacting and sharing. Discussion boards help scaffold student interaction with one another and with course content in ways that enhance the ability to think critically, research, and interact asynchronously and in a reflective way (Rocco, 2010), (Hulsizer Woolf, 2009). I had thought it would be unproductive or counterproductive to my learning as I looked at it as just another platform for chatting given my prior beliefs th at real learning involves attending class or studying privately. It was a very good experience because it provided a certain level of anonymity that removed inhibitions and enabled me engage in very honest and frank discussions, without caring if my comments or remarks would hurt someone another party. It was quite a unique experience, given that I could interact with other students virtually at any time of the day (or night). It helped me develop a deeper understanding of others, without the hindrance of personal prejudice that occurs during face to face discussions and I feel I have developed a better way of appreciating peoples thoughts purely on the merit of their thoughts and opinions, in a way improving my perceptiveness and ability to analyze other peoples thoughts impersonally. However, the experience had a darker side in that sometimes people lost focus and engaged in ego contests, with some discussions getting personal and out of the context of the discussion; in some cases, comments were not worded well and sparked exchanges that were n ot particularly pleasant. Online discussion forums can easily deviate from course and result in unpleasant exchanges especially when one party feels their ego has been trampled (Johnson, 2010). Overall, the undesirable situations aside, I feel it was truly a worthwhile experience that helped me improve my communication skills without fear or shyness and helped extend learning out of the classroom. I was able to informally practice my writing skills and learn from my peers in a relaxed manner and fostered a very useful learning community. Online discussion forums help people learn informally from their peers (Hillen, 2014). Sometimes I made comments and responded to comments abruptly and without objectivity, sometimes even becoming overly harsh and insensitive. I could have been considered what I am writing first before posting, including checking my spelling and sentence structure as well as reflected on my thoughts critically before posting because its failure to do such things that led to the discussions ge tting out of hand. In the next opportunity, I will be more democratic, more considerate, and look at it as a real learning opportunity from my peers References Hillen, S. (2014). The role of discussion boards in e-collaborative learning environments (CSCL) What kind of support can they provide? - A conceptual discussion and a qualitative case study. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 02, Vol 9. Hulsizer, M. R., Woolf, L. M. (2009). A guide to teaching statistics: Innovations and best practices. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Johnson, M. (2017). Anonymity in online discussion forums does it pro mote connections?. ORCA. Retrieved 7 October 2017, from https://orca-mwe.cf.ac.uk/60230/1/Johnson.pdf Rocco, S. (July 01, 2010). Making reflection public: using interactive online discussion board to enhance student learning. Reflective Practice, 11, 3, 307-317.