Abstract:

This study compares the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in two universities; University of Borås in Sweden and University of Jaen in Spain. The focus is on the lecturers perceptions about Online Asynchronous Discussions (OAD) and three groups of lecturers are compared; two groups from Borås, divided according to whether they teach mainly Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM; N=31) or Arts and Humanities (A&H; N=45). From Jaen all respondents (N=35) work at the department of education and all but one person selected A&H as their field. The results are similar for the three groups, with lecturers from the STEM field appearing slightly more reluctant to promote online discussions.

The authors suggest that a major barrier to the use of online asynchronous discussions to elicit student activity and the creation of shared perspectives is the attitudes of lecturers and students whom look at education foremost as a way to acquire subject specific knowledge and a diploma rather than a mean for personal growth and development. It is argued that by teaching students to exercise freedom of expression in a responsible and constructive way universities can justify academic freedom in a democratic society.

Keywords:

Higher education, Learning management systems, educational software.