Engineering students' conceptions of and approaches to learning through discussions in face-to-face and online contexts

Abstract

This study focused on students' conceptions of and approaches to learning through face-to-face and online discussions. The study setting was a course in which students (N = 110) worked in small teams and in which team discussions took place both face-to-face and online. The design of the study involved a combination of in-depth interviews and self-completion questionnaires using open-ended questions and rating scales. The analysis adopted a phenomenographic approach, leading to the construction of categories for students' conceptions of and approaches to learning through discussions and the testing of associations between conceptions, approaches and course outcomes. Close associations were found between conceptions of learning through discussions with approaches to face-to-face and online discussions and with learning outcomes. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.