Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Prepared for: Dept. of Psychology. Bibliography: leaves 173-188.

Asynchronous online discussion has the potential to offer equal participation opportunities (Bali & Ramadan, 2007), improve critical thinking skills and facilitate collaborative learning (Lee & Tsai, 2011). However, the success of asynchronous online discussion is based on students' active participation and the depth of their contributions (Mazzolini & Maddison, 2003). Several studies have confirmed that the quality of students' discussion can be maintained by assessing students' contributions. This research, therefore, aims to identify effective assessment criteria with which to assess students' participation in online discussion. The study employed a qualitative case study methodology to explore the assessment of asynchronous discussion in depth. This involved five cases and was conducted at King Saud University. Five instructors and 39 students participated in the study. Students' and instructors' perspectives were triangulated by obtaining data through different methods: in class and online observation, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. An inductive approach to data analysis was followed, informed by constructivist grounded theory. Data were analyzed in two stages: the first stage involved the in-depth analysis of each case. Then, the second stage involved a cross-case analysis of the five cases. Seven categories of assessment criteria emerged: sufficient answers and explanation, participation, originality of contributions, writing format and structure, posting within the timeframe, use of external resources and applying common ground rules. The cross-cases analysis resulted in the development of a framework for the assessment process, elements of this framework are: Preparation for the online discussion task, assessment design, before and after task feedback. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in terms of understanding the role of assessment in students' participation in online discussion This study contributes to the body of knowledge in terms of understanding the role of assessment in students' participation in online discussions. Findings from both the learners' and instructors' experiences allow an in-depth understanding of the assessment process. This study also provides a practical framework for instructors who wish to integrate online discussions to their teaching practice.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1966. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

The thesis is focused on the political participation of university students in the Czech Republic. This topic has not been studied there yet. The aim of the research is to find out whether university students in the Czech Republic participate in politics. To this attitude we want to find the reasons and motivation and the forms in which the participation takes place. We also want to determine how students perceive themselves from a socioeconomic point of view, on a left-right scale, or with which ideology, political party or regime they identify. Taking into account the long-term trend of TOP 09 support among youth and especially students, we will try to get a more detailed characterization of this group of citizens. The data are obtained from 365 questionnaires structured into several thematic units at micro, meso and macro levels that correspond to the expected impact on political participation. We also deal with the relationship of students to the regime, the openness of the system to participation and its forms, internal efficiency. The analysis showed that 95 % of the students participate in politics. The most used forms are election attendance, petition signature and participation in group action. The most common reasons and motivations are interest in the surroundings, civic duty or the...

This study aimed at investigating the effect of an extended teacher wait time on student participation in primary school context. The main purpose of the study was to inquire whether primary level students would participate in the lesson more when they are given extended wait time after questions than those lessons in which they received average wait time. Students&rsquo / attitudes towards receiving extended wait time and teachers&rsquo / opinions about and experiences in applying it were also explored. For this purpose, two fifth grade classes at ihsan Dogramaci Foundation Bilkent Primary School participated in the study. Pre-test and post-test results and first part of the teacher and student questionnaires provided the quantitative data of the study. The qualitative data came from the second part of the questionnaires that were given to the teachers and the students. The analysis of the quantitative data indicated that students who received extended wait time participated in the lesson more than the students who received average wait time. Analysis of the results of student questionnaire indicated that the students were aware of the positive outcomes of being allowed extended wait time. The results of the teacher questionnaire showed that although extending wait time strategy and its outcomes are known by the teachers, it is not widely used in the classrooms.