The effect of type of threading and level of self-efficacy on achievement and attitudes in online course discussion

Based on transactional distance theory in distance education, this study investigated the effect of type of threading and level of self-efficacy on achievement and attitudes in learning through asynchronous online course discussion. Also investigated were the effect of the threading and self-efficacy conditions on the amount of individual interaction, the effect of threading condition on the amount and nature of group interaction, and relationships among amount of interaction, achievement and attitudes.; This experimental study was a post-test only two (structured versus self-directed threading) by two (lower versus higher self-efficacy for online technologies) factorial design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two threading treatments when blocked by their self-efficacy level. The two dependent variables were achievement and attitudes.; The three instruments used to collect data were a survey on self-efficacy for online technologies, a post-test for achievement, and an attitude survey. Also reviewed were twelve samples of group postings. Complete data were collected from 310 undergraduate students. Each participant worked in one of the 34 online discussion groups in one of the two threading conditions with six participants in each group.; Analyses of variance and multivariate analysis of variance were used to analyze the data for post-test, attitudes, and amount of individual and group interaction when appropriate. Correlation analyses were used to investigate the relationships among amount of interaction, achievement, and attitudes. Samples of group postings were qualitatively examined to investigate the nature of interaction under different threading treatment, in terms of task completion versus social presence interactions.; Threading condition yielded no significant differences for student achievement. However, self-directed threading had a significantly positive effect on student attitudes and yielded more group social presence interactions. Level of self-efficacy also yielded no significant differences for either achievement or attitudes. However, lower self efficacy students did make more positive comments in the structured threading condition, while higher self-efficacy students made more positive comments in the self-directed threading condition. There was also a significantly positive relationship between the amount of group interaction and attitudes. Implications are discussed for design of, and research on, asynchronous discussions to aid learning.