Exploring the Effect of Scripted Roles on Cognitive Presence in Asynchronous Online Discussions

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of scripted roles on students' level of cognitive presence in asynchronous online threaded discussions. A quantitative content analysis was used to investigate: (1) what level of cognitive presence is achieved by students' assigned roles in asynchronous online discussions; (2) differences between students' cognitive presence when the asynchronous online discussions occur during a 5-week intensive summer class versus a 15-week regular class (fall and spring); and (3) the impact of the types of questions on students' cognitive presence in role-based asynchronous online discussions across three semesters in an online introductory nutrition course. The participants in this study were 139 undergraduate students at a major public university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The results of this research correspond to the findings of previous research that indicate scripted roles can be an effective strategy to improve both learning processes and outcomes. In addition, this study found differences in students' level of cognitive presence (exploration and integration) based on the course length. Finally, this study found evidence that the types of questions asked related to the level of cognitive presence, i.e., higher level questions can lead to higher level of cognitive presence and vice versa.