Independent, synchronous and asynchronous an analysis of approaches to online concept formation

This paper compares and contrasts three different approaches to pre-class concept formation in an online computing course. In the initial third of the semester students made individual responses to sets of weekly pre-class tutorial style questions. In the following four weeks a virtual classroom was used to facilitate the synchronous construction of group responses to the same type of activities. In the final third of semester a wiki was used to provide an asynchronous means of composing group responses to the pre-class tutorial questions. The different patterns of student contribution and interaction that resulted from each mode are described. Implications for concept formation specifically and learning generally are discussed.