After spending a great deal of time exploring all of the activities in Moodle I found the forum tool the most preferable communication tool for my learning and teaching styles. I particularly enjoy some of the options like displaying a word count and setting conditions to post a minimum number of threads or replies. I am not sure how I feel about the rating system that would allow fellow classmates to rate one another’s posts. If it is anonymous and only gives feedback to the student and instructor then I think it could be a helpful tool. However, if it is something that is displayed to the entire class it could become discouraging and at times counter productive.

I did explore the live chat tool within Moodle and this could be useful for certain times and discussions. I have a particular preference toward asynchronous communication for a couple of reasons. The first is that I am a very busy and over extended new dad, educator, and student. If I pay good money for a flexible online course I expect it to be flexible and differentiated to meet the needs of a variety of students and their differing paces. A time deadline for an assignment or major project is reasonable but to limit when course material is read and discussed and make mandatory chat sessions just doesn’t fit into the schedule of many students taking online courses. After all, most students in an online course are taking it because they likely are unable to meet the restraints of attending a face-to-face course regularly. The second reason I like asynchronous communication is that it creates a growing legacy of learning as the posts progress. According to research “the major use of the Web for both e-learning and distance education is asynchronous, in that materials can be accessed at any time by learners, and teachers do not have to be present while students are learning” (Bates, 2005). I often like to go back and read posts from a number of weeks ago and see how the entire discussion went on. I know there are ways to archive a chat or live session but I tend to prefer the asynchronous option.

The wiki activity was also of particular interest to me as an asynchronous communication tool. This is something I explored but chose not to develop in my own Moodle course.  The rationale for choosing asynchronous was that I find the benefits of being able to differentiate and allow for self pacing far outweigh the benefit of having a real time connection or sense of community.  Generally, synchronous communication works best for students who can schedule set days and times for their studies. It quite often may be the better option for those who like structured courses heavy on student interaction.  Students with busy or complicated schedules prefer asynchronous communication. It tends to work well for self-motivated learners but also allows the opportunity for a diverse number of people to share and spend meaningful time processing and thinking before discussing.

References:

Anderson, T. (2008). Teaching in an Online Learning Context.  In: Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Athabasca University.

Bates, A.W. (2005). Technology e-Learning and Distance Education. New York: Routledge