A Comparative Study of the Foreign Students’ Perceptions Regarding Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Classes in a Liberal Arts Writing Course

Abstract

This study aimed to find more effective ways to conduct online classes by comparing the foreign students’ perceptions regarding synchronous and asynchronous classes in a liberal arts writing course. While asynchronous online writing classes ran in the first semester, synchronous classes ran in the second semester of 2020 at A university. The survey of satisfaction, which included the perceptions of the foreign students, was given to students studying Korean at the intermediate and advanced levels after each semester. As a result of this survey, we learned that the difference in the style of the student’s online classes did not affect their perception of the teaching contents, nor their perception of their instructors. However, students perceived synchronous classes more positively than asynchronous classes. In particular, there was a significant difference when it came to interactions. For instance, the advanced students were more positive about the synchronous classes regarding their concentration levels, their “sense of presence,” and their overall understanding of their instructor’s feedback. However, both levels of students were positive about the asynchronous classes when it came to their management of the learning process. Through this study, we confirmed that the synchronous class is suitable for liberal arts writing courses, which implement writing practice and feedback. However, additional materials, such as prerecorded lectures, should be provided according to the students’ Korean level and other considerations.