Is it possible to replace face-to-face small group discussions with online discussions?

Abstract

The impact of COVID-19 has greatly restricted the implementation of face-to-face classes and forced changes in learning strategies in all subjects. Our university has a large number of courses that involve discussion in the first and fourth years, which are important periods for fostering communication. Therefore, we felt that if we chose not to have discussions, students would lose the opportunity to develop their communication skills, which would have a significant impact on educational effectiveness. Therefore, we tried to use online discussions as much as possible, and the methods and strategies for using them are described. Based on the results of peer evaluation, it can be assumed that the evaluation criteria depended heavily on the frequency of utterance and that non-verbal communication was not observed to the extent that it could not be evaluated. The essential role of SGD is to develop problem-solving skills through communication, including non-verbal communication. Although a comparison of the educational effects of face-to-face and online discussions could not be comprehensively performed, the educational effects of both discussion types essentially suggest that online discussions do not provide a better educational effect than face-to-face discussions.