The use of instructor´s feedback and grading in enhancing students´ participation in asynchronous online discussion

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of grades and instructor´s feedback in enhancing students´ participation in the asynchronous online discussion on Blackboard. Fifty-five undergraduate students from two sections of the same class were involved in this study. A discussion question was posted on the blackboard discussion board under two different treatments. The result showed that the use of grading students´ performance successfully enhanced students´ participation in the asynchronous online discussion. In addition, the result also indicated a pattern of the students´ participation in the online discussion on blackboard.