Microanalytic case studies of individual participation patterns in an asynchronous online discussion in an undergraduate blended course Alyssa Friend Wise ⁎, Nishan Perera, Ying-Ting Hsiao, Jennifer Speer, Farshid Marbouti Simon Fraser University, 250–13450 102 Avenue, Surrey BC, Canada, V3T 0A3 abstract article info Available online 8 December 2011 Keywords: Online learning Computer mediated communication Asynchronous discussion groups Learning strategies Student participation Mixed methods This study presents three case studies of students' participation patterns in an online discussion to address the gap in our current understanding of how individuals experience asynchronous learning environments. Cases were constructed via microanalysis of log-file data, post contents, and the evolving discussion struc- ture. The first student was Thorough, reading all the posts in the forum in sequence, revisiting different posts multiple times, and creating posts outside of the discussion tool. The second student was Self- Monitoring, revisiting his own posts multiple times, checking the discussion frequently for replies, and reply- ing to or editing his posts in response. Finally, the third student was Independent, using the forum as a tool for her own individual reflection. The behaviors found for these cases are aligned with a theoretical taxonomy for participation proposed by Knowlton (2005). The value and limitations of the microanalytic case study approach are discussed, and implications for research and practice are suggested. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction While the initial attention given to online learning technologies often fades quickly, after several decades discussion forums continue to garner both interest and critique as a tool for supporting student- to-student interaction in higher education (e.g. Quinn, Mehan, Levin, & Black, 1983; Rovai, 2007). In both purely online and blended contexts, discussion forums are valued for the opportunities they afford to enable rich dialogue between learners (Swan & Shea, 2005); however, in many cases actual conversations remain shallow and this value is not fully re- alized (Reyes & Tchounikine, 2003). One distinctive feature of online discussions, to which both promise and problems are attributed, is their asynchronous nature. Asynchronicity decouples the timing of learners' participation in discussions, allowing them to control their in- dividual pacing (Jonassen & Kwon, 2001). This is cited as creating op- portunities for more reflective dialogue (Harasim, 2000) but also generating challenges in the coherence and flow of the conversation (Herring, 1999). Despite the importance placed on asynchronicity, only limited research has investigated online discussions from a tempo- ral perspective (e.g. Dringus & Ellis, 2010; Jeong, 2005; Wise & Chiu, 2011). This work has provided insight into group timelines and process- es; however, in an asynchronous environment this does not correspond to how any of the individuals involved in a discussion actually experi- ence it. Research has not yet probed in detail the individual experience of participation in asynchronous discussions over time. This is an important, but missing, piece of the puzzle because both theory and re- search suggest a relationship between how students engage with dis- cussions and what they get out of them (e.g. Ho & Swan, 2007; Morris, Finnegan, & Wu, 2005). This paper takes a first step towards addressing the gap by conducting a series of microanalytic case studies of individual students' participation patterns in an online discussion and comparing them with a theoretical taxonomy for participation pro- posed by Knowlton (2005). 1.1. The continued promise and challenge of discussing online asynchronously Successful online discussions can encourage learners to share their thoughts, engage with alternate perspectives, and debate and negotiate ideas (Woo & Reeves, 2007). From a social-constructivist perspective, such discussions are beneficial for learning as they support knowledge construction both in the sense of a group's collective sense-making and individuals' development of personal understanding (Jonassen, Davidson, Collins, Campbell, & Haag, 1995). In particular, asynchronous discussions can support these processes by shifting conversation away from a single timeline of engagement controlled by the instructor and towards multiple timelines of engagement managed by the students themselves (Jonassen & Kwon, 2001). For example, in online discus- sions students can participate at a time and place when they are ready, rather than being put on the spot or competing for a turn to talk during a limited class period (Gibbs, Simpson, & Bernas, 2008). The asynchronous format also allows students to take as much time as they need to reflect on the contributions of others and compose their own thoughts in response (Harasim, 2000). This means students can Internet and Higher Education 15 (2012) 108–117 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: + 1 778 782 8046. E-mail address: alyssa_wise@sfu.ca (A.F. Wise). 1096-7516/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.11.007 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Internet and Higher Education