The Development, Validity, and Reliability of Communication Satisfaction in an Online Asynchronous Discussion Scale
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The Development, Validity, and Reliability of Communication Satisfaction in an Online Asynchronous Discussion Scale Min-Ling Hung • Chien Chou
Ó De La Salle University 2013
Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify dimensions of students’ communication satisfaction in an asynchronous discussion forum. An asynchronous discussion may be defined as text-based human-to-human communication via computer networks that provides a platform for the participants to interact with one another to exchange ideas, insights, and personal experiences. Two sets of samples (336 and 304 college students) served to explore and confirm the constructs of the Asynchronous Discussion Communication Satisfaction model proposed by this study. The model has been empirically validated via Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factory analysis. This study’s concept of communication satisfaction has been a relatively new one, which functions in academic settings as a facilitator of future investigations into the emotional reactions that students have while interacting in asynchronous discussion forums. Keywords Asynchronous Discussion Communication Satisfaction (ADCS) Online asynchronous discussion Instrument development
Introduction As the popularity of online courses on college campuses grows, the asynchronous discussion forum has become a M.-L. Hung (&) Teacher Education Center, Ming Chuan University, 5 De Ming Rd, Gui Shan District, Taoyuan County, 333, Taiwan, ROC e-mail: [email protected] C. Chou Institute of Education, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Rd, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, ROC
basic and important part of these courses. An asynchronous online discussion environment may be defined as ‘‘textbased human-to-human communication via computer networks that provides a platform for the participants to interact with one another to exchange ideas, insights and personal experiences’’ (Hew and Cheung 2003, p. 249). In other words, asynchronous discussion forums provide opportunities for social interaction, discussion of assignments, assessments of work, tutorial assistance, and strategic teaching (Mazzolini and Maddison 2003). The underlying assumption for using asynchronous discussion forums is that students can broaden and deepen what they have learned from a given course through sharing, posting, responding, discussing, and debating in relation to peers’ ideas (Vonderwell 2003). Online asynchronous discussion not only serves as an integral component of online courses, but also has become a primary focus of educational research (Pena-Shaff and Nicholls 2004). Asynchronous discussion boards both enable students to explicitly express their thoughts in writing and promote communication among teachers and students. Past researchers (Garrison et al. 2000; Newman et al. 1997) have concluded that the process of writing promotes reflection, which facilitates higher-level learning such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In addition, researchers seem to agree that asynchronous settings support
