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Asynchronous Discussion Forums

What is a discussion forum?


1. Usually text, web based only, asynchronous discussion board that enables
multiple users to engage in discussion with each other online. This is similar
to an email discussion, but unlike email, all contributions to the discussion
are collected on a "board" which displays all the messages that have been
posted to the board. Discussions are usually oganized into forums, which are
separate folders each dedicated to specific broad discussion topics. Within a
discussion group members contribute their comments by responding to the
intial discussion question or by responding to each other. All these responses
can be shown in the form of an outline or thread so that responses appear
following the entry to which they are replying. For example, the following
screen shot shows the
2. All users have Internet connection; broadband connection not necessary
(unless there are large files attached) but does reduce down and upload time.
Forum can be a stand-alone environment (e.g. WebCrossing) or be a
component of a course management system (e.g. WebCT, Blackboard,
Moodle).
3. Technology requirements: Computer with access to the Internet; browser.
4. View screen shots showing different types of discussion forums: Web
Crossing, Moodle, WebCT, Blackboard.

Why use a discussion forum?


1. For users to engage in written online discussion with others at times that are
convenient to the individual user (asynchronously). Since discussions can be
accessed at any time via the Internet and can be archived, users can review
these even after the discussion is over.
2. So all learners can participate and are responsible for participating in a
discussion. These discussions can be social (to build a learning community)
and content based.
3. When used in conjunction with a face-to-face or other form of synchronous
class, to enable students to engage in reflective discussion in preparation for
or as a follow-up/reaction to class (e.g. to debrief after guest speaker, field
trip).
4. Forums can be used by students to share examples of their work with each
other, to engage in group work outside of class, and to ask questions of each
other and/or the instructor about topics being studied.
5. Examples of use:
o WebCrossing extensively used as primary instructional and learning
tool in UMD M.Ed Learning Community model for critical reflection
& discussion of course material and its application to students' work
experiences; some classes fully online, others using hybrid face-to-
face & WebCrossing or ITV & WebCrossing
o Used across campus by many faculty as supplement to face-to-face
classes to engage students in discussion about course readings, field
trips, speakers, and other class activities
o Increasingly used in hybrid courses, replacing face-to-face class time
(similar use to face-to-face supplement, but more time spent in online
discussions than when used as face-to-face supplement).

Advantages of discussion forums


1. The asynchronous format enables users to review and participate in
discussions with others at times convenient to them.
2. Easy to use: with minimal guidance students are quickly able to use the
technology to engage with others online. Having student photos helps
personalize the online community.
3. Every student in class is able to respond to questions.
4. All students can be "heard" because even if one student posts repeatedly in
an online discussion, other students can choose how much attention to give
to that student's posts and can still respond without interruption.
5. Students who are normally reluctant to speak in face-to-face classes report
being more willing to do so online. Not only does this benefit them, but also
the whole class benefits by hearing the opinions of all students rather than
the most confident, dominant students who typically dominate face-to-face
class discussions.
6. Makes students individually accountable and responsible for their learning,
and enables instructor to assess student responses systematically (especially
if a rubric is used) and provide more frequent & individual feedback.
7. Instructors search for and generate a list of posts for individuals, and in this
way examine each student's responses over time to assess the student's
progress.
8. Enables students to build on face-to-face learning experiences, readings and
outside experiences e.g. online discussion following guest speaker, field trip,
movie, lab, or continuation of face-to-face classroom discussions.
9. The process of writing responses leads to more in depth critical reflection &
dialog -- writing helps students know what they know (as opposed to them
writing merely to show others -- the instructor and peers -- what they know).
10. If questions are well designed to have students connect their learning to their
lives, it helps them examine their assumptions.
11. The asynchronous format allows students to take the time first to make sense
of what others are saying and then to think about and plan their responses.
This is especially an advantage to students whose first language is not
English (even though writing in English may be a challenge for students
whose first language is not English, the asynchronous nature of the
discussion gives them the extra time needed to create their written
responses).
12. To be meaningful, questions asked by instructors (and other students) must
engage students in higher level thinking (application, analysis, synthesis &
evaluation, as well as in the affective domain) and call on students to
connect the course theory to their own lives. This means that learners
explore topics in much greater depth.
13. Instructors become facilitators in a community of learners, rather than being
the focus/hub; this leads to more constructivist approaches in their teaching.
14. A valuable use of the forum is for students to post drafts of their work and
invite feedback from peers. Both the student receiving this
feedback andthose giving it benefit from this process of reading others'
ideas, asking each other questions, responding to each other.
15. Because they are able to "go to class" at any time, the process of student
learning is more continuous. Especially at the graduate level, students report
being more engaged on an ongoing basis in reflecting on what they are
learning. Additionally, when they think of something they would like to say
in response to a discussion, they don't have to wait for class to "start" -- they
can enter the online discussion at any time to record their thoughts.
16. Students (and instructors) are judged by the quality of their ideas and not by
external appearance and/or their spoken language skills/accent. This can be a
very important factor for people who have experienced discrimination based
on these factors.
17. Empowerment: By having their responses validated, their voices heard, and
seeing their ideas contribute to the learning community, students gain
confidence in speaking out even in face-to-face classes.
18. Even after a discussion is over, students can refer back to it for review.
19. Outsiders (such as experts in the field) can be invited to contribute to a
discussion, greatly enriching the conversation and connecting it to real world
contexts.

Disadvantages of discussion forums


1. Time consuming for instructor and students (takes much longer to type a
response than to engage in face-to-face discussion).
2. Although any type of digital file can be uploaded to a discussion forum for
downloading and viewing by others, online forums tend to rely almost
exclusively on written communication, thus limiting use of other learning
modalities by learners.
3. Many of the subtleties of communication using non-verbals and the tone in
spoken words may be lost. This is especially a disadvantage to people who
are not as expressive in writing as through their spoken words and non-
verbals.
4. The asynchronous nature of this learning environment means that
misunderstandings cannot be quickly and easily corrected, and can lead to
serious problems (e.g. if students misunderstand an assignment, and
instructor does not read the discussion until after the students have headed
off in the wrong direction on an issue. In a face-to-face class, an instructor
could immediately pick up on confusion and correct/clarify).
5. Students who do not communicate well in writing are greatly disadvantaged
by not being able to express themselves through spoken words.

Issues & problems related to discussion forums


1. A very common theme among users of discussion forums is the amount of
time that it takes to teach using these, especially when students are required
to post multiple times within a discussion. Even though the extent of the
instructor's presence may not be evident (as it is inadvisable for instructors to
post too much within a discussion), they still have to read every post; when
they do respond it is very important that their comments are carefully
worded so as not to stifle or shut down discussion -- and thoughtful posts
take time to develop. It is significant that almost all instructors who have
been teaching online using discussion forums as a major element of their
courses report feeling worn out by the process. These same instructors also
state how important and valuable these discussions are to the quality of
student learning (especially for graduate level classes, but this same finding
has also been reported by faculty who teach undergraduates). Thus they are
torn between their own need to find balance in how much they can do, and
wanting to ensure the highest possible quality of learning experience for
their students.
2. Some instructors report that using a hybrid class format in which students
meet face-to-face once a month or more frequently can undermine the
quality and depth of online discussions because some students tend to hold
off posting their thoughts and engaging in depth in online discussions,
preferring to wait to share their ideas in person during the face-to-face class.
However, by the time the class meets, students' responses have lost the
connection to what was discussed online, especially if more than a week has
gone by.

Emerging issues and tips related to discussion forums


1. Necessary to take time at the start of a course/cohort to teach students not
only how to use the tools within the forum, but also how to communicate
constructively and critically with others as part of an online learning
community, using posts that are short and to the point. Additionally it is very
important to start out with discussions that help students build confidence in
their ability to communicate in writing and online, and also for them to
develop trust in the learning community. A key factor in creating this sense
of trust and safety is keeping the forum closed to outsiders (unless an open
folder is created when outside speakers are invited in). Students need to feel
safe to engage in critical self-reflection and able to examine their own
assumptions without fear that others will say hurtful things and judge them.
This requires skill in the development of initial activities and in the ways
instructors facilitate discussion & provide feedback.
2. Instructors report the value of creating initial discussions that invite students
to share personal stories (in ways that are appropriate and relate to the course
objectives) not only to help build students' confidence, sense of belonging,
and understanding of each other, but also to provide a foundation. As the
course evolves, especially if taught following constructivist principles,
instructors can integrate this information learned about students into course
content and in building discussions that connect the content to students'
experiences. This is especially important in working with adult learners who
are working full time (connecting course in meaningful ways to their work
and personal lives).
3. If the forum is used as a Course/Learning Management System (CMS or
LMS) (as is the case with WebCrossing in the M.Ed program) it is very
important to teach students how to navigate their way around the system.
4. Creating a "virtual cafe" folder within a course discussion folder is helpful in
providing students with a place to engage informally and socially with each
other online. This social need is important to creating a strong learning
community, and having this designated location enables students to keep
discussions more focused on the topic within the other (academic) discussion
folders.
5. Create discussion groups (as opposed to having all students post responses in
one big, whole class discussion). Especially if students post more than once,
a whole class discussion quickly becomes disconnected, hard to follow, and
far too lengthy for anyone to read what everyone has said, and thus students
become disengaged. Having smaller groups (5-7 students per group) is more
personal, easier to follow, and students can then engage with each other in
more meaningful, deeper, and more critical discourse. Students can still go
into other discussion groups to read and learn from those if they wish.
6. If you give a grade to students for their posts, provide clear guidelines on
your expectations about quality (ideally in rubric form).
7. If you expect students to engage with each other in discussion beyond each
posting their initial response to instructor questions, it is important to give
deadlines for when students' initial responses be made and then a second
deadline for subsequent posts
8. Be very judicious in your contributions to discussions. The ideal is to
facilitate the discussion only as needed, so students know you are reading
what they have to say and that you will step in, if and as needed, to help
guide and redirect, but without your presence dominating. Use public posts
within the discussion to encourage, redirect, deepen, and expand students'
thinking; use personal emails to communicate with individuals when
providing individual feedback and correction.

Time saving/ management tips:


1. For students and instructors, use email notification feature so that when a
new post is added to a forum, you are notified by email. This means that you
don't have to keep checking in to see if there is anything new.
2. For instructors:
1. create a separate "Assignment Questions" discussion to accompany
each assignment, so that if students need help they post their question
within this, rather than embedding their question within the
discussion. Instructors can then commit to checking this questions
folder daily while reviewing other discussions less often.
2. Related to this: it is very important to tell the students up front when
and how often they can expect you to review their online discussions,
and then instructors should build into their schedules blocks of time to
do this (just as you schedule in time to teach face-to-face classes).
This helps reduce the common complaint from faculty who teach
online that they feel as if class is always in session.
3. It is not advisable to respond to every post made by students. Not only
does this stifle discussion among students and make the forum very
teacher dominated and teacher centered, but it will very quickly lead
to your feedback becoming superficial and to your "burning out." If
you do feel a need to show students that you are there and have read
their posts, you can place a plus sign of some other mark next to their
response (by actually editing their response as opposed to replying to
it, as the latter can really disrupt the flow of the discussion threads).
4. Limit the number of discussions required within a course (as having
too many can overwhelm both the students and the instructor and
reduces the quality and depth of student reflection).
5. Keep a discussion question bank from past courses so that you can
draw on this for future classes. Even if you do use past questions,
however, it is helpful to adapt these so they are relevant to and build
on developments that emerged in preceding discussions within your
forums that semester.
6. Connect the questions to current issues and developments in your
field (e.g. providing links to relevant online news stories).
7. Simplify grading rubrics so that they are more holistic.
8. If points are given for student posts, using WebCT as the grading
option enables scores to be entered directly into gradebook as you
review student posts.
9. Some faculty recommend that you don't read all discussions: skim to
get an overall sense (just as face-to-face instructors do when they
circulate among in class discussion groups -- they don't listen to every
word said in every group).
3. Administrators: Increase credit given to instructors of courses that rely on
online discussion forums as a significant component of the course.
References
 Boardman, K. (2006). Using a discussion board. UK Centre for Legal
Education. Last updated February2, 2006.
 Blackboard.com Creating a Discussion Forum.
 UMass Lowell Continuing Studies & Corporate Education WebCT
Discussion Board Tutorial.

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