Learning is by nature mediated by the educator, as it incorporates social interaction in the form of dialogue and discussion. This book is about using information and communication technologies within the learning and teaching process. From the point of view that learning is a social category and social learning is under a social constructivist paradigm, Hew and Cheung present a form of collaborative learning in which discussion has a key role. Teaching that incorporates discussion enriches student-to-instructor and student-to-student interactions. Interaction issues are discussed in the context of information technology development and online discussions. All of these issues are present in chapter 1, in which the authors discuss the potential of online discussions in the teaching process, and the possibilities and limitations of student participation in real-world online discussions.
Asynchronous online discussions undoubtedly have certain advantages, but it strongly depends on students’ decisions and motivations to participate. These issues are well described in chapter 2, which focuses on ten vital factors that influence limited student contribution. These factors derive from the student’s mental capacity and the specific technology used. The research is based on the analysis of critical issues influencing student contribution in online discussions. Each of the ten factors is well documented and includes a literature review.
In chapter 3, the authors focus on strategies to overcome problems of limited student contribution and open up possible empirical strategies for each of the previously analyzed ten vital factors influencing online discussion. Since there is no firm evidence for the successful implementation of these strategies, the authors note that the research could not evaluate the degree to which certain strategies increase student contribution in online discussions. These findings are based on reviews of studies incorporating a descriptive research methodology but lacking exact empirical results. Chapter 4 discusses some of the strategy dilemmas that can arise from using the strategies introduced in chapter 3. The authors present five possible strategy dilemmas, each of which incorporates positive and negative issues. They conclude that educators should know which kinds of strategy dilemmas exist in order to better select proper implementation strategies.
Chapters 5 through 7 deal with case studies on peer-facilitated online discussions. Key elements of each study are accompanied by relevant findings on the following questions: “What motivates participants to contribute?” “How does one sustain participants?” “What is online discussion?” “How does one foster higher levels of knowledge construction?” Each of these questions is analyzed, and the authors provide detailed discussions and explanations of the answers. Factors motivating students to contribute in peer-facilitated online discussions, including the peer facilitator’s role, are analyzed. The authors provide some answers from the learning perspective of social constructivism, which suggests that the exchange of ideas and opinions among peers is central to learning. In the context of online discussions, this often takes place through long threads. The authors present three studies that examine how threads grow and foster continuity.
In chapter 8, the authors discuss the differences between a peer’s role and an instructor’s role in online discussions, and summarize which conditions the ordinary student prefers. They also state that in most cases students prefer the discussion model with peer facilitation, although there are situations where students want the instructor to act as the facilitator.
Chapter 9 is devoted to a special online discussion category that is quite different from traditional text-based online discussion: audio discussion. Students with lower levels of literacy and writing skills are handicapped in ordinary text-based online discussions. Online audio discussion is more suitable for these students. However, as the authors state in their findings, most students prefer text discussion. The reasons for such behavior follow these findings.
The tenth and final chapter discusses future research directions, including research on the use of peer facilitation in different contexts, possible solutions to strategy dilemmas, and online discussions on mobile devices. Most of the issues relating to online discussion development focus on using students as peer facilitators.
This book is a valuable contribution to the literature and a foundation for further research. It includes an excellent review of current literature in the field. Valuable sources and references accompany each chapter. Readers from various disciplines in the learning sciences, including teachers, educators, and students in education studies, will find this book valuable. The authors write in a concise, clear, and readable form, and present interesting views.
