Share Paper: Face-to-Face Discussions versus Online Threaded Discussions: Can We Have The Best of Both Worlds?

  1. Stephanie Hulon, University of South Alabama, United States
Tuesday, March 26 2:45 PM-3:45 PM Grand Ballroom D

Abstract: Educators have used the art of discussion as a teaching strategy for many years (Wang & Woo, 2007) and view it as a tool that promotes higher-order thinking skills (Larson & Kieper, 2002). However, discussions in the past have been traditionally synchronous activities where people physically come together and share ideas. In the 21st century, the face of education is rapidly changing and asynchronous online threaded discussions seem to be an integral part of learning online. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face discussions as well as online threaded discussions. More importantly, it discusses possible answers to the ...