Choosing Discussion Options
June 20th, 2009 · No Comments
To support the objectives of my Moodle course I have added a forum and a live chat space to encourage two types of discussion. The asynchronous discussion (forum) hosts a series of questions for students to respond to. Here they can take advantage of the time allowance to deeply consider their responses and to review the answers posted by other learners. The forum brings to the educational experience a higher level organization as it keeps questions and answers accessible as a resource for future reference, and encourages quality online learning which “exploits the influence and expertise of peers and external experts.” (Anderson, 2008. p50) However, it is limited by lack of spontaneity in communication and a resulting “dry” conversation.
The synchronous discussion addresses this challenge. The live chat space is encouraged for use by students who are looking to make personal connections with other students. Here they are provided with an opportunity to express emotional responses to the challenges they are facing learning new material. The chat space is dedicated for student use only – though they are advised that I will be occasionally screening the chat area to ensure dialogue in not offensive. I have opted to include an area for exclusive student use as it creates “comfort and trust and encourages students to participate by sharing knowledge, asking questions and supporting peers” (Dixon, Crooks, & Henry, 2006). Additionally, from my own experience, I have observed that learners are more comfortable sharing their nervousness, fears, and concerns with their peers, and that the sharing of these emotions helps to bond the group, which is an important factor in the development of a strong learner group.
As most of these learners are in the same time zone it would be possible to use only synchronous communication, however, asynchronous forums offer greater opportunities for reflection, and encourage learners who may be initially reluctant to open up in a synchronous chat area.
As well, the learner group are adults who may have other work and family responsibilities which may require some scheduling flexibility. Considering these factors it seems that a blend of asynchronous and synchronous discussions are the most appropriate fit for this learning context.
The chat room and forum were tested by visiting the site from a mac and a PC computer. There appeared to be no problems in this initial testing. However, more intensive testing will be required before students gain access to these communication tools.
Resources:
Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a Theory of Online Learning. In: T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Accessed online 3 March 2009 http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008_Anderson-Online_Learning.pdf
Dixon, J. S., Crooks, H., & Henry, K. (2006). Breaking the ice: Supporting collaboration and the development of community online. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 32(2), 99.