Predictors of success: a longitudinal study of timaded discussion forums

This study constitutes a starting point for gathering better evidence for the effectiveness and appropriate uses of various online learning tools. The research question investigated - How valuable are threaded discussion forums as a pedagogical tool in a course delivered via an online modality? - was addressed by a longitudinal study in which the performance of g raduate students (N=103) on a series of discussion forum assignments was compared to their ultimate success in their program of study. This study lends credence to the belief that discussion forums can indeed play an important role in an online course. A s ignificant correlation was demonstrated between success in an academic program as measured by progress toward completion of degree requirements and GPA and performance in discussion forum assignments as measured by the timeliness of the contributions to the forum and the content of those contributions. Even if the discussion forum assignments do no more than predict success, however, their value is evident, if as nothing more than an evaluative tool.