Comparison of students’ perceptions of small group discussion in online and face-to-face environments

Abstract

The aim of this study is to understand students’ experiences in online and face-to-face discussion and compare their perceptions towards these two environments. Students from two undergraduate classes (n=208) were surveyed by questionnaires and 30 students were interviewed. The analyses centered around five major aspects – learning, affection, reading and writing skills, critical thinking skills, and efficacy. The results show that the student perceived more positively towards face-to-face discussion than online discussion in all but the reading and writing aspect. The interview data revealed the advantages and disadvantages of each discussion method.