Conceptualising Emotional Engagement in an Online Asynchronous Forum

This study examined how students conceptualise their emotions when engaging in online asynchronous forums within a university course. With the move online in work and educational practices and the reduction in physical contact, the need to understand emotional influences on social learning behaviour in digital spaces is important. There is little research about how students conceive of their emotions when engaging in online asynchronous course forums. Using case study method student engagement across a 6-week fully online module was examined using a theoretical framework bringing together social, emotional and online learning dimensions. Three types of behaviours were found represented as self-protective, self-oriented and community-oriented. Perceived social and emotional behaviours are conceptualised regarding content, peer interaction and within the asynchronous forum. This study contributes understanding about how students understand their emotional engagement in a social space and how this influences their learning behaviours in an asynchronous forum. Implications for future research directions are discussed.