Use of asynchronous online discussion in a hypermedia design class: Pre-service teachers perceptions

The main objective of this study was to investigate how a group of pre-service teachers perceived the opportunities and limitations of using an asynchronous online discussion forum to learn hypermedia design concepts. To achieve this, a case study of two classes was carried out. Data was collected through student interviews, examination of students reflection logs, online discussion transcripts, and a questionnaire survey to compare students opinions of learning and thinking via asynchronous online discussions with other common modes of learning. Findings revealed three major advantages and four factors that discouraged pre-service teachers from participating in asynchronous online discussion. No statistical significance was found in the pre-service teachers responses to whether they perceive themselves learning more about hypermedia design concepts in the asynchronous online discussion as compared to other modes of learning. However, they perceived themselves to have thought more in the asynchronous online discussion environment rather than in the web-based resource environment (p<0.01), and from printed materials (p<0.05)