Exploring students’ discussion in face to face and online synchronous learning

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare class discussion between face to face learning and online synchronous learning. Discussion records containing 311 messages from a similar class in both context were analyzed by content analysis methods. In addition, a questionnaire was given to participants in order to understand their perceptions toward online learning. According to the data, students’ discussion about questioning, greeting, greeting and help in online learning were significant higher than in face to face learning. The analyses also revealed that face to face learning may be more suitable for learners to discuss deeply in learning content for judgment, reasoning, explanation, and the teacher should supply proper instructional design and facilitation for class interaction. As a pilot study, the problem is resulted from the lack of massive discussion messages and experiments times, and instructional strategies will take into considered.