Abstract
Virtual courses create a self-directed learning environment for students. Given that online environments provide anonymity so that the emphasis is on the content, rather than on the form of the message or the identity of the sender (Herring, 1993) this study assesses students’ personal usages in an online collaboration across several states and semesters. In examining the student and instructor perspective, the findings are significant in that, students engage in reflective work employing academic quality discussions across varying institution types from community colleges to public and private universities and that their discussions occur without gender or question type biases. Semester-end surveys confirm that an asynchronous e-learning collaboration enhanced their educational experience and they belonged to a global community of learners. This study adds its significant findings about the growth of online discussions promoting and enhancing the experience of e-learners and collaborative endeavors.
Highlights
Online education has come of age and the acquired taste to deliver these courses becoming the norm
It is estimated that 1.5 million students took part in online education in 1998 (U.S Department report, 2010) with that figure steadily growing annually
This study focuses over several semesters of usage patterns, of an online collaboration requirement that was part of a course grade requirement in an introductory American Politics faceto-face course across three types of universities, a public-four year institution, a private-four year institution, and a community college across three states and time zones
Summary
The potential advantages and disadvantages of synchronous and asynchronous spaces are evaluated with student needs in mind (Flatley, 2007; Gilmore & Warren, 2007; Arbaugh, 2000a; Arbaugh, 2000b). Arbaugh (2000b) highlight the importance of designing virtual communities to enable different patterns and types of interaction, for example, active participation and quieter periods of reflection, or that different user types develop providing engagement in learning (Arbaugh, 2000b; Northrup, 2002). Here students use asynchronous technologies such as email, websites, and discussion boards, which require more independence (Dumont, 1996) They can set a personal schedule to participate in online activities (Allan, 2007). With the additional non-constraints posed by required meeting time and space lifted, students can comply with course requirements in their own personal usage styles These online discussions encourage critical reflection and dialogue concerning current and theoretical issues in a space and time that is comfortable and familiar to the student. Exposure to and experience with diversity can help students develop skills to handle and resolve disagreements arising from conflicting points of view (Zuniga, Vasques-Scalera, Sevig & Nagda 1997; Gurin, Nagda & Lopez 2004)
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