Assessment and Analysis Methods for Online Discourse: Where's the Learning?

Discussion is frequently considered a necessary component of online classes, and is a broad term used to address any situation in which words are exchanged between different parties. This theoretical paper examines and critiques common practices in both assessment and research of asynchronous online discussion and introduces some newer approaches. In particular, this paper considers whether these approaches truly address how students learn via online discussion activities, how we may measure that learning, and why it is important to do so.