"Communicate 4.2.3 – Discussions" Quest
What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective?
The role of discussion forums in online learning is multi-beneficial. Students are afforded the opportunity to present their ideas to their peers and to their teachers after having the opportunity to explore the content and topic at hand and after reflection. It allows for demonstration of deeper understanding in terms of original posts and response posts. In addition, it creates an environment where students can collaborate in a space where they often feel isolated. Discussion forums are effective when instructions monitor and guide students daily. Setting participation expectations at the beginning is extremely important in terms of soliciting the type of participation desired.
How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool? How could they be used effectively and ineffectively? Futhermore, what are some best practices for facilitating forums online?
As a teaching tool, the discussion forum is a place to explore various types of assignments that are interactive in nature, as opposed to the dropbox or assessment tools. A key element in discussion forums is student interaction. Without student interaction, the maximum benefits are not reached. Effective use of discussion forums includes, but is not limited to, Socratic method, polling, roll play, peer reviews, video and audio activities. The idea is to create an environment where students are critically thinking, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating. The teacher's role is to facilitate that interaction by commenting on every student's initial post in a way that encourages deeper thinking about the topic. Providing external links to current events or helpful websites is also a technique that adds to the value of the discussion forum.
In my AP class, students are expected to compare and contrast a topic in both the target culture and their own community. They have to research the topic, spend 4 minutes preparing an outline of what to present, then create a 2 minute response recorded in an audio file. They then listen to their audio file and write a transcript of what they've said. Producing the transcript affords the students the opportunity to notice their strengths and weaknesses. Then the students post their audio file and transcripts to the discussion forum. Finally, they are required to listen to others' posts and respond with questions that encourage more participation by others. Simple questions that illicit "yes and no" responses do not earn credit. This activity helps students prepare for the AP free response Cultural Comparison items by allowing them to practice the format, to examine their own work as well as the work of peers. It forces them to reflect on their performance and the performance of others, which enriches their understanding of the communication goals. My role is to ask each students thought provoking questions to make sure they've explored their topic deeply and to encourage more interaction within the class.
What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective?
The role of discussion forums in online learning is multi-beneficial. Students are afforded the opportunity to present their ideas to their peers and to their teachers after having the opportunity to explore the content and topic at hand and after reflection. It allows for demonstration of deeper understanding in terms of original posts and response posts. In addition, it creates an environment where students can collaborate in a space where they often feel isolated. Discussion forums are effective when instructions monitor and guide students daily. Setting participation expectations at the beginning is extremely important in terms of soliciting the type of participation desired.
How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool? How could they be used effectively and ineffectively? Futhermore, what are some best practices for facilitating forums online?
As a teaching tool, the discussion forum is a place to explore various types of assignments that are interactive in nature, as opposed to the dropbox or assessment tools. A key element in discussion forums is student interaction. Without student interaction, the maximum benefits are not reached. Effective use of discussion forums includes, but is not limited to, Socratic method, polling, roll play, peer reviews, video and audio activities. The idea is to create an environment where students are critically thinking, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating. The teacher's role is to facilitate that interaction by commenting on every student's initial post in a way that encourages deeper thinking about the topic. Providing external links to current events or helpful websites is also a technique that adds to the value of the discussion forum.
In my AP class, students are expected to compare and contrast a topic in both the target culture and their own community. They have to research the topic, spend 4 minutes preparing an outline of what to present, then create a 2 minute response recorded in an audio file. They then listen to their audio file and write a transcript of what they've said. Producing the transcript affords the students the opportunity to notice their strengths and weaknesses. Then the students post their audio file and transcripts to the discussion forum. Finally, they are required to listen to others' posts and respond with questions that encourage more participation by others. Simple questions that illicit "yes and no" responses do not earn credit. This activity helps students prepare for the AP free response Cultural Comparison items by allowing them to practice the format, to examine their own work as well as the work of peers. It forces them to reflect on their performance and the performance of others, which enriches their understanding of the communication goals. My role is to ask each students thought provoking questions to make sure they've explored their topic deeply and to encourage more interaction within the class.
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