Asynchronous Discussions

Learning through Asynchronous Discussions
Experiences from using a discussion board in a large undergraduate class in Hong Kong

By Narasimha Bolloju, Dept of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong, and Robert Davison, Dept of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong

Outlines different phases online discussions should go through and also implications of their experiences.

"as we demonstrate in this article, the technology can enable significant learning when applied in an asynchronous, distributed setting, i.e. when participants access the tools at a time and place of their choosing."

"Our experiences indicate that while a minority of self-motivated students take active advantage of these communication tools throughout a course, the majority tend to be rather passive, using the tools primarily as an online information resource for difficult topics and in the run up to exams. Clearly it is critical that the tools should be adequately prepared in advance, so as to guide students in the right direction and thereby assist in the facilitation of appropriate learning. While active students will always benefit, the passive ones can also be encouraged to participate and take a more active role that their individual profiles might predict, given the inherently "safe" nature of anonymous online communications."