How Effective Are Asynchronous Online Discussions in Teaching Legal, Ethical, Professional and Social Issues?

A survey was carried out among mature adult students and their instructors involved in a British university’s online Master’s degrees in Computing/IT. All were experienced in engaging in asynchronous online discussions. They were asked about the effectiveness of online discussions (the debating of discussion questions) in teaching legal, ethical, professional and social issues (LEPSI). Both students and instructors agreed that the discussions had been helpful in making students aware of the culture and legal systems of people from other countries; had made students more aware of the legal, ethical, professional and social (LEPS) framework within which they operate; had contributed to making students more confident about working on their own to find out more about the LEPS issues that affect their work; had made students more likely to take LEPS issues into account in their workplace; had made students more likely to think about LEPSI than their previous degree; had been seen as important in encouraging students to sometimes change their opinion in the light of evidence or a strongly reasoned argument; had been seen as important in helping students construct a reasoned case for some action; and had been seen as important in helping students identify the LEPS implications of things they do in the workplace.