Students' use of asynchronous discussions for academic discourse socialization

Our universities are becoming increasingly diverse at the same time as online asynchronous discussions (OADs) are emerging as the most important forum for computer mediated communication (CMC) in distance education. But there is shortage of studies that explore how graduate students from different e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Distance education 2010-11, Vol.31 (3), p.315-335
Main Authors: Beckett, Gulbahar H., Amaro-Jiménez, Carla, Beckett, Kelvin S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Discourse
academic discourse socialization
Asynchronous Communication
asynchronous discussion boards
Budgets
Communities of Practice
community of practice
Computer Mediated Communication
Courseware
Cultural Differences
Data Analysis
Discourse Analysis
Distance Education
Distance learning
Diversity (Student)
graduate student perspectives
Graduate Students
Higher education
Interviews
Language teachers
Learning
Learning communities
Likert Scales
Linguistics
Literature Reviews
Online discussion groups
Postsecondary education
Qualitative research
R&D
Research & development
Social interaction
Social Networks
Socialization
Student Attitudes
Student Surveys
Student teachers
student use of online discussion boards
Studies
Teacher education
Teaching
Undergraduate Students
United States (Midwest)
University students
Virtual Classrooms
Web based courses
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Summary:Our universities are becoming increasingly diverse at the same time as online asynchronous discussions (OADs) are emerging as the most important forum for computer mediated communication (CMC) in distance education. But there is shortage of studies that explore how graduate students from different ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds use OADs for academic discourse socialization. This article discusses a qualitative study conducted to address these issues. Language socialization and community of practice theories informed the study. Analyses of surveys, interviews, and Blackboard postings from seven hybrid courses reveal that participants perceived OADs highly positively and used them as a virtual community for academic and professional discourse socialization and appropriation. Findings also suggest that students experienced some frustrations and disappointments regarding professorial presence and grading. We discuss these findings, show how academic and professional discourse socialization occurs in asynchronous virtual reality, and draw implications for further research and practice.
ISSN:0158-7919
1475-0198
DOI:10.1080/01587919.2010.513956