When Topics are Controversial: Is it Better to Discuss Them Face-to-Face or Online? |
| |
| Authors: | Katrina A Meyer |
| |
| Institution: | (1) Department of Leadership, The University of Memphis, 310 Browning Hall, Memphis, TN 38152-3340, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | Ten students in a graduate-level course on Historical and Policy Perspectives in Higher Education held face-to-face and online discussions on five controversial topics: diversity, academic freedom, political tolerance, affirmative action, and gender. Upon completion of each discussion, they assessed their comfort, honesty, concern for others’ feelings, similarity of feelings to others, and willingness to disagree and then compared the face-to-face and online discussions on these measures. Students’ assessments are complex and indicate that some topics did elicit feelings of discomfort, concern for others’ feelings, and willingness to disagree in the face-to-face discussions. However, despite these feelings, the majority of students continued to prefer the face-to-face discussions. Online discussions were valued to a lesser extent, but a consistent minority of students were more comfortable in that setting. The age and race of the student also created differences in responses.
Dr. Katrina Meyer is an associate professor of Higher and Adult Education at The University of Memphis. Her Ph.D. is from the University of Washington, and her research interests include online learning and virtual universities. |
| |
| Keywords: | face-to-face discussions online discussions age race controversy |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
