Instant messenger-based online discourse platform and its impacts on students' academic performances: An exploratory study in art and design education

As an alternative approach to traditional classroom-based learning environment, an online platform based on instant messenger (IM) is developed for subgroup discourses of Principles of Art Pattern Design (PAPD), one of the basic courses in art and design education. To quantify its effects on students' academic performances, the unified final test, including a standardized exam and an artwork rating, was administered to students enrolled in this study. The exam score, rating score, and their association were used as indicators to measure students' knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) of art pattern design, respectively. Because this study adopted multilevel hierarchical study design, linear mixed models were employed to evaluate the effects of IM-based online discourse on students' KSA at three levels - TEACHER-, CLASS- and STUDENT-level. Compared with classroom-based face-to-face discourse, IM-based online discourse slightly lowered students' performances on average. However, the effects of IM-based online discourse on students' KSA varied with different levels, and were inconsistently inferior to those of classroom-based face-to-face discourse. Considered the complex processes of teaching and learning involved, therefore, IM-based discourse platform should learn from the strengths of traditional classroom-based learning environment to further upgrade, and be thoroughly examined under different conditions.