Answer:
1) What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective?
2) How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool?
3) How could they be used effectively and ineffectively?
4) What are some best practices for facilitating forums online?
The purpose of the discussion forum is to create classroom discussion. They can be effective in creating collaboration amongst students in the online classroom where it would not have existed otherwise. However, unlike a normal discussion, students can truly put thought into their responses as they are not immediate.
In order for discussion forums to function effectively, students must be made aware of the rules and expectations. As long as these are followed, the forum will function properly. However, if they are not observed, the forum can become ineffective very quickly.
Some Best practices would be: (1) Respond to the first thread of all student responses and ensure that the post addresses the essential elements; (2) Highlight selections from the prompt, reading, or thematic focus of the student’s response in the initial feedback; (3) Integrate audio commentary in the response; (4) Link to external resources, readings, or websites for further study; and (5) Rely on the Socratic Method in all Discussion Forums.
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