Ask for Help: Online Help-Seeking and Help-Giving as Indicators of Cognitive and Social Presence for Students Underrepresented in Chemistry

Help-seeking is an essential tool for student success. Still, students, especially those underrepresented in STEM (UR-STEM) and those underrepresented in chemistry (URChem), may be reluctant to employ help-seeking for academic success. Understanding help seeking in online courses is crucial for developing equitable learning environments where students can engage with a community of inquiry. We analyzed help-seeking behaviors and responses to requests for help in an online college-level chemistry course's discussion forum. We found that requests for help were responded to equally, regardless of how explicitly students appealed for help. Furthermore, we found that UR-Chem students requested and responded to help similarly and received help at greater rates than their non-UR-Chem peers. Results support that productive and substantive help-seeking and help-giving discussions occur in an online discussion forum. Ultimately this work highlights a necessary learning skill, help seeking, thereby informing chemistry instruction and learning.