USING ASYNCHRONOUS DISCUSSION GROUPS TO SUPPORT TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Asynchronous discussion groups can be referred also computer supported collaborative learning environment is central to the constructivist learning theory. This kind of discussion groups foster collaborative and social learning. This study was carried out in an undergraduate teaching principles course. The students were asked to read a paper every week and discuss it on Google Groups and Blogs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usage and effectiveness of these discussion groups in Google groups and Blogs. The data was collected from observation and questionnaire. This study showed that Google groups could be used best for communication and Blogs could be used best for discussion.