Looking for evidence of learning: Assessment and analysis methods for online discourse

Discussion is a required component of many Web-based classes, but do we really know its value or contribution to learning? Students may be graded for participation, and number and length of posts may be counted by those evaluating or researching online classes, but all too often the assessment and analysis methods that we use fail to provide us with data that indicate learning took place through participation in online discussion. This paper explores what can be learned by currently popular assessment practices and analytic methods, as well as the limitations of these methods when used to measure learning, using two samples of discussion threads from online classes.