A case study of participation and critical thinking in a university-level course delivered by computer conferencing

Abstract

Despite the growth in the size and acceptance of distance education, there
\nhave been persistent criticisms of this form of education because it often fails
\nto provide for interaction among students and between students and
\ninstructors. Without this, it is suggested, distance education can only be an
\ninferior imitation of the best face-to-face education because learners are
\nunable to clarify and challenge assumptions and to construct meaning
\nthrough dialogue.
\nSome critics believe distance education's inability to reproduce a critical
\ndialogue among students and between students and instructor can be
\naddressed through the use of two-way communication technologies such as
\ntext-based, asynchronous (i.e., not in real time) computer conferencing.
\nAppropriately-designed computer conferencing, it is argued, will facilitate
\ninteraction among students and between the instructor and students thus
\nmaking distance education more appropriate for the higher-level cognitive
\ngoals of college and university education. At the same time, using this'
\ntechnology will retain the flexibility of time and place-independence that is
\ncharacteristic of distance education.
\nThe literature on educational computer conferencing is replete with
\nreferences to its potential to create a new paradigm of education characterized
\nby interactive group knowledge-building and critical thinking, but there are
\nfew empirical studies that have substantiated this view. Little is known about
\nhow and why learners participate and what factors may affect their
\nparticipation. Similarly there has been little empirical study of the quality of
\ncomputer conferencing interaction.
\nThis case study of a university-level course delivered by computer
\nconferencing was designed to address these issues. It was guided by two purposes: 1) to determine whether the quantitative and qualitative
\ndimensions of participation in this online course were consistent with key
\naspects of the new paradigm of networked learning as articulated in the
\nliterature, that is, if students were actively participating, building on each
\nothers contributions and thinking critically about the discussion topics; and 2)
\nto determine what factors affected student participation and critical thinking.
\nThe results of this study suggest that some of the claims about the
\npotential of this technology to transform conventional and distance
\neducation may be overstated. The emergence of a dynamic and interactive
\neducational process that facilitates critical thinking was shown to be
\ncontingent on a variety of factors. The results suggest, however, that with the
\nappropriate course design, instructor interventions, content, and students,
\ncomputer conferencing can be used for these purposes and should be given
\nserious consideration by distance educators as a way of facilitating interaction
\nand critical thinking in distance education.