An examination of computer engineering students' perceptions about asynchronous discussion forums

Abstract

This study was conducted in order to reveal the usage profiles and perceptions of Asynchronous Discussion Forums (ADFs) of 126 computer engineering students from the Computer Engineering Department in a university in Turkey. By using a mixed methods research design both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. Research findings indicated that the ADFs were frequently and effectively used by computer engineering students as a learning instrument. Another finding was that discussions in the ADFs were in the form of question-answer and resulted in important learning outcomes especially in eliminating the problems encountered by the students. © 2013 by iSER, International Society of Educational Research.