Real Talk: illuminating online student understanding with authentic discussion tools

In supporting online student cohorts, we experienced challenges in achieving the same quality of engagement asynchronously as we do through face-to-face discussions in a classroom setting. The educational model we use is based upon students progressing through weekly tasks designed to support development, and measure achievement of learning outcomes. In this model, once a student has completed a task, interactions between the student and instructor provide feedback to the instructor of the student's understanding. The feedback system gives confidence that the student understands their work and AIDS in identifying learning intervention opportunities. To achieve this asynchronously, we developed and integrated an audio-discussion tool known as Real Talk into our Learning Management System (LMS). The tool allows instructors to record discussion prompts tailored to a student's completed task and has the LMS replay the prompt(s) and immediately capturing the student's response. These interactions replicate essential aspects of face-to-face, in-person discussions by not affording the student opportunities to research and rehearse responses, which we previously experienced when using asynchronous discussion or quiz tools for this purpose. In this paper, we present the implementation of the Real Talk tool and discuss results evaluating how effective it was at allowing instructors to identify opportunities for learning interventions in introductory computing courses. The results confirmed that the tool has assisted in identifying knowledge gaps not identifiable in students' submissions alone.