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.