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Patricia Gilbert recently completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University developing a new online learning model for critical education. Her current research is on the development and administration of online learning tools. Nada Dabbagh is an Associate Professor of Instructional Technology in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. Her main research interests are: task structuring in online learning environments, problem generation and representation in hypermedia learning environments, and supporting student self-regulation in distributed learning environments. AbstractThis study examined the impact of structuredness of asynchronous online discussion protocols and evaluation rubrics on meaningful discourse. Transcripts of twelve online discussions involving 87 participants from four sections of a graduate course entitled Instructional Technology Foundations and Learning Theory were analysed across four semesters. Protocols and evaluation rubrics guiding online discussions in this course ranged from minimal structure or loosely defined protocols in the first section, to high sructure or well defined and comprehensive protocols and evaluation criteria in the fourth section. The analyses revealed that some elements of structure had a significant impact on meaningful discourse. Particularly, guidelines that assisted the facilitation and evaluation of online discussions increased the cognitive quality of student postings promoting a deeper and more meaningful understanding of course content.

The purpose of the present study was to confirm previous research findings that different categories of Web-based pedagogical tools (WBPT) (e.g., collaborative and communication tools, content creation and delivery tools) supported different selfregulated learning (SRL) processes (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring), and to further examine which WBPT were most effective in supporting student SRL while completing course assignments. The sample surveyed consisted of 65 students enrolled in three distributed courses. A mixed methods methodological approach was implemented. As expected, quantitative analyses confirmed that different WBPT supported different SRL processes. In addition, analyses of qualitative data collected revealed that WBPT were highly effective in activating the use of SRL processes necessary to support specific types of learning tasks required for completion of course assignments. Educational implications for using WBPT as scaffolds for SRL are discussed.

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