Share Paper: The Effects of Anonymity on Critical Feedback in a Teacher Preparation Program

  1. Gaoming Zhang, Michigan State University, United States
  2. Yong Zhao, Michigan State University, United States
Friday, March 7 11:20-11:40 AM Royale Skybox 208

Abstract: There is an increasing demand for addressing controversial issues in curriculum, such as social justice and values. Getting students to express their honest opinions, however, remains a challenge in teaching such topics (Trosset, 1998). Studies have suggested the liberating power of anonymous communication, which has the potential of freeing people for more honest opinions. This study investigated the effects of anonymous communication on student discussions about controversial issues. The results indicated that students wrote more frequently when they were identified. However, participants expressed more critical opinions when they were anonymous in the computer-mediated communication (CMC). When asked which condition they ...