Students' perception of an online Q&A service for academic help seeking

• Published in: Journal of Lifelong Learning Society Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 137 - 158
• Main Author: 성지훈(Jihoon Sung)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국방송통신대학교 미래원격교육연구원 31.05.2008; 미래원격교육연구원
• Subjects: 교육학; online question and answer service; 온라인 질문-답변 서비스; 학업관련 도움요청; 컴퓨터 매개 의사소통; computer-mediated communication; message board; 웹 게시판; academic help seeking
• ISSN: 1738-0057; 2671-8332
• DOI: 10.26857/JLLS.2008.05.4.1.137

This qualitative study explored students’ academic help seeking through a message board in an online Q&A service in an educational website in South Korea. In particular, this study identified the advantages and disadvantages of a Q&A service for academic help seeking, as seen by students. While there are some challenges of academic help seeking through asynchronous text-based message board, the four most important benefits reported: feeling comfortable, overcoming time and space limitation, having enough time to organize questions and understand answers, and being motivated to study hard and stimulated cognitively by sharing messages with others. Implications for practice are also discussed. This qualitative study explored students’ academic help seeking through a message board in an online Q&A service in an educational website in South Korea. In particular, this study identified the advantages and disadvantages of a Q&A service for academic help seeking, as seen by students. While there are some challenges of academic help seeking through asynchronous text-based message board, the four most important benefits reported: feeling comfortable, overcoming time and space limitation, having enough time to organize questions and understand answers, and being motivated to study hard and stimulated cognitively by sharing messages with others. Implications for practice are also discussed. KCI Citation Count: 2