A Study on College Students’ Learning Attitude During Synchronous and Asynchronous Video-Based Group Activities for English Presentation

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to explore college students’ perceptions/attitudes during synchronous and asynchronous group activities. The survey comprised of a 10-item, 5-point Likert-type questionnaire and open-ended questions. In the study, two groups, a synchronous group and an asynchronous group, participated in four activities during one semester. For the data collection, the researcher surveyed 116 students who are in the 1st year of college and collected their final tests, an oral presentation. The findings are as follows. Firstly, between the two groups, the synchronous group showed higher mean scores for online group participation. Secondly, the synchronous group also indicated higher mean scores for English learning, speaking confidence, and interest in learning English. Lastly, both groups mentioned communication with team members, improvement of English speaking and pronunciation, increased self-confidence and other elements as advantages of group work. In contrast, disadvantages included: technology problems, decreased self-confidence, inconveniences when meeting with team members online and others. The implications for the study are: first, online group activity can reduce isolation and increase interaction; second, the online video-based platform, Flipgrid, can help students improve English speaking skills by observing their own or peers’ videos; lastly, instructors can selectively use the synchronous and asynchronous group activities to suit their educational needs.