Abstract

This study investigated the effects of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on the quantity of students' verbal participation and their learning effectiveness in the group learning process. According to contemporary pedagogy, social exchange is the key for knowledge construction and acquisition. Group discussion is the operation of social exchange in a classroom. Student participation in the discussion is the premise of internalization of knowledge and information. The incorporation of CMC in a group discussion is to make use of CMC's unique features and to encourage students' active role in the learning. With face-to-face discussion groups as the control group, and on-line discussion groups as the treatment group, this study used experimental hierarchical design method. In this longitudinal experiment, three group discussion tasks were formulated according to the syllabus of Speech Communication 101 at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Participants in this study were students enrolled in Speech Communication 101 classes. Face-to-face discussions were video taped and transcribed. CMC discussion scripts were printed out from participants' computers. After coding, the number of each participant's verbal participation units was obtained. The Cognitive Learning Scale and Affective Learning Scale were used to evaluate participants' learning effectiveness at the end of experiment. Statistical analyses were performed to assess CMC's impact on the quantity of participants' verbal participation, the distribution of participation in a group discussion, and the learning effectiveness. It could be concluded from the analyses that CMC does not lead to more participation in a group discussion. However, CMC does encourage equal distribution of participation in a group discussion. CMC also leads to better cognitive learning and affective learning except participants' affect toward behaviors recommended in the class.

Citation

Xia, Y. Participation and learning effectiveness: Computer-mediated communication in group learning. Ph.D. thesis, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Retrieved June 6, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/129804/.

This record was imported from ProQuest on October 23, 2013. [Original Record]

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Keywords

• Educational Psychology Education
• Speech Communication
• Technology of Education