Reports

Monday August 24 2009 | 000 Multidisciplinary

Using On-line Academic Forums

Sophie Ringuet Educational Advisor, Cégep@distance

The Issue
Practical Applications
Useful References
What's new?

Download this report as a PDF

The Issue

REPORT PRODUCTION CONTEXT

In Spring 2007, I participated in an experimental on-line course developed by Cégep@distance in partnership with PERFORMA and with financial support from the Inukshuk Wireless Learning Plan. The course was targeted toward Cégep@distance tutors and college network teaching personnel and dealt with the use of different academic tools. I found the information on the electronic forum particularly interesting. I not only participated as a student on the course forum, but I worked on projects dealing with the use of electronic forums for the most part in teams with other participants. I was inspired to write this section on ‘The Issue' which deals with guidelines to lead a course forum from my experiences with fellow classmates Anne-Marie Boucher, tutor at Cégep@distance teacher of Early Childhood Education at Cégep de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu as well as her colleague Isabelle Lavigne, teaching in the same program at the same school. I hope that this file will inspire teachers looking to integrate an electronic forum into their teaching.

INTRODUCTION: TODAY'S YOUTH, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING

Many of today's cégep students are members of Generation Y, less than thirty years old and grew up with the computer. This cohort is Internet connected and has access to a toolbox that includes text messaging, blogs, podcasts, forums, wikis and virtual social networks like Facebook, Myspace, and multiplayer online games. These students use these virtual networks for more than entertainment; they research facts and seek advice to make informed decisions. They have a well developed cooperative spirit and credit their peers as much or more than authority figures. Furthermore, as Michel Audet, a professor of Industrial Relations at Laval University, has noted, this generation has a different world view from other generations based on virtual communication and therefore has different communication requirements and learning styles.¹

Among these many techniques of information and communication and social networking are numerous interesting pedagogical applications which enable online collaborative work and training. When allowed to use these online tools for information and communication, this generation has a solid foundation gained from prior experience. This file will deal with one of these tools which has already demonstrated its pedagogical potential: the electronic discussion forum.

Let's first see exactly what this tool is.

DESCRIPTION

Defining a Forum

The electronic discussion forum is multi-member online location for asynchronous exchanges. Participants publish and respond to members' posted messages. Most forums present information in the order received or in threads where queries are followed by their responses. In general, forum content is long-term, and participants can access it at any time.

Often forums are divided into different subject discussions based on specific themes or tasks. For example, in a literature course, the forum could be divided into different discussions, each reserved for a different work under study.

A Short History

In existence for nearly thirty years, one cannot call the forum a new technology. The earliest electronic discussion forum network named Usenet (Unix User Network) was created in 1979 as a student project in North Carolina and is in use to this day. Without going into detail, the Usenet network allows its potentially geographically distant users to exchange messages in numerous discussion groups (newsgroups) on a wide variety of subjects. Group creation, however, is complex and generally limited to large groups. Furthermore, confidentiality is problematic as all members have access to all messages.

Much more recently in the late Nineties, discussion forums on the web in browsers such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox made their appearance. As in Usenet, these online forums enabled message exchange between participants but in a much simpler and rapid format. Furthermore online forums had additional features which made them more adaptable and user-friendly. They could be used by small or large groups and could be public or password-protected for increased confidentiality as required. Obviously, these newer forums hold far greater interest for the college instructor and will be the focus of the information presented in the rest of this report.

Online Forum Software Choices

There is a large variety of online forums:

Software, both shareware and commercial, creating online forums such as phpBB;

Online course management systems which include a forum among their features (DECclic is an example which is used in the college network);

Collaborative software such as the ELGG platform which includes a forum.

These options all will permit the user to create and manage an online forum, but certain features vary from one to another. In an academic context, the following considerations are of possible interest:

Moderation features to allow the teacher to modify, move or erase student messages for example or the option of highlighting messages and granting student access to only certain parts of the forum etc.,

A ‘Profile' section which allows students and teachers alike to better know one another,

Message formatting options,

Data, audio and video file attachment features,

Smileys to enable nonverbal emotional expression in message content,

E-mail or other online notification of new messages,

Posted message removal, modification and discussion change,

Message listing option such as by date, by title, by author etc. and

An integrated research tool to easily locate messages.

An Example

Before going further, let's take a few moments to present a concrete example of a small web forum created in phpBB where there is a debate over the advantages and disadvantages of different types of childcare for preschoolers.

On the forum homepage, after log in, the participant sees a list of the different sections available and a short description of their contents.

Once a section is selected, a list of its discussion threads appears. As an example, the section on debating is shown with a list of its topics.

Here is the beginning of a discussion thread in this section of the forum:

USING FORUMS IN AN ACADEMIC CONTEXT

Let's see what a forum can add to your teaching.

Pedagogical Context

The electronic discussion forum can be used in an academic context not only to clarify content but to deliver on-line student support on an emotional level improving affective elements like motivation or orientation. This guidance can be on an individual or group basis. The forum environment facilitates group work while allowing the teacher to intervene when required to promote collaboration. Allowing rapid response to student questions and promoting teacher, tutor or teammate accessibility, the forum can promote team spirit and can reduce feelings of isolation particularly with distance teaching, a phenomenon which promotes perseverance.

The electronic forum is an asynchronous tool which is particularly useful in discussions among several participants. Unlike text messaging, video teleconferencing and other synchronous modes of communication, the forum allows students time for reflection and research before making an intervention in a discussion or contributing to a common project. It also permits insecure students the time required to express their thoughts effectively. As most messages are available over a long period, students can reread them in order to gain greater insights and teachers can review to see who contributed what to a group project.

Furthermore, unlike tools such as e-mail and distribution lists, the forum retains and displays all exchanges in a discussion thread making them available at any time on the Internet.

Limitations of Using a Forum Compared to Other Tools

Given that access to a forum can be public or group-wide, the medium is not very appropriate in communicating privileged information to an individual student. It is preferable to use a complementary tool such as text messaging or e-mail which enables two-way communication. As well, the forum does not permit collaborative work through document sharing as easily as a wiki or online audio and video teleconferencing software. It is therefore advantageous to use the forum in tandem with other tools when discussing work in progress. Furthermore, even if a forum can be used to presents work, it doesn't offer the same presentation options as a blog or a digital portfolio. In order to learn more about different tools which can be used along with a forum, consult the Profweb file Tools to Communicate and Collaborate With on the Web: an Overview by Alain Farmer.

The Role of the Teacher

When one uses technological communication tools such as the electronic forum, the role of the teacher is not the same as the one operating during classroom teaching. As explained in Charlier (2002), the teacher who moderates a forum with several functions must be a facilitator, leader, ‘guardian angel', collaboration expert, decision-making assistant and technical consultant. Students expect the teacher to be visibly involved in the work, react rapidly to material presented, be democratic as opposed to autocratic or uncaring and adapt to each student's individual needs². Daele (2002)³ defines four roles for the instructor:

In the case of the electronic forum, effective moderation is necessary in all of these roles in order to reach most goals. In fact moderation plays an important role in the success or failure of the academic electronic forum.

Other Important Elements to Consider

A critical mass of participation in order to generate enough messages of interest to encourage regular consultation is an important consideration. The number of students enroled in a course must be considered. Ideally, 60 to 100 students produce good results as about a third of them will actively participate in a forum.⁴ However, a forum can be used with a small group of students if one can count on participation by all class members. During an APOP presentation in January 2008, teachers Steve Boucher of Cégep régional de Lanaudière and Éric Watelle of Cégep de Sainte-Foy explained that they used a forum in groups of about twenty students with near total participation and that the number of messages was sufficient to not require too much intervention on the part of the teacher.

Now, let's see some concrete examples of how as a teacher, you can use a forum in your teaching.

Suggestions for Learning Activties

A forum can have many pedagogical applications, in class, on-line or as a hybrid between the two. Creativity is a must! On the DECclic site, several suggestions for learning activities using their forum are proposed. Barbara Class and Jacques Viens (2003) in the document ‘Utilisation pédagogique d’un forum' make additional suggestions. Here are some which seemed particularly interesting:

Discussion of different subjects linked to the course
Discussion is the essence of the forum! You can have different types of discussion and exchange with your students. For example, Steve Boucher, a geography teacher at Cégep régional de Lanaudière explained at the last APOP colloquium that he used a forum in the context of a course to ask current events questions each week to prepare students for the next class. He also used the forum to encourage students to dialog with an expert online. You can learn more reading Mr Boucher's story in Profweb.

Students can also interact around different subjects in a forum in order to prepare a project, study for an exam or even to prepare for a work study assignment. Claudette Ouelette, counselor and member of the coordinating team of the APOP learning platform, discussed this strategy in a DECclic workshop about using the resource to efficiently supervise students participating in work study sessions on-line. Below are examples of specific activities that have used the forum as a tool:

Debates
The asynchronous nature of the forum allows students the time they need to reflect and to prepare and formulate their arguments. It is also surprising how even the most reserved students, those who rarely participate in-class, will participate in debates using an electronic forum. It is especially motivating for students to debate questions or subjects which touch them directly. For example, Mr Éric Watelle, a teacher at Cégep de Sainte-Foy, explained during his workshop about class forums as a factor for academic success at the APOP Colloquium in January 2008 that he had gotten students in a course about politics to debate current issues of interest that were linked to the course material. According to him, current affairs resonated strongly with his students.

Group Projects
It is possible to use a forum to enable students to work together on a project. For example, students can each be asked to study an aspect of a theme and then combine and synthesize their research on a forum.

Preparing for an Evaluation
Study questions can be posted on a forum. Students can be encouraged to post their own last minute questions as well where they can receive a rapid response not only from their teacher or tutor but from their peers as well.

Submitting Work
Peer evaluation can be valuable and motivating when work is submitted to a forum. The forum is also an effective medium for instructor comments.

Role Plays
Assigned roles for students on a forum can lend interest to a discussion or debate. The roles assigned can be used to enrich content and present a more rounded evaluation of a topic.

Group Work
Forums lend themselves easily to group work as explained in a Profweb story (in French) by Gilles Plamondon, a philosophy teacher at Cegep d'Alma. When group work is done on a forum, the teacher has access to what happens in each team and can intervene as required. Knowing that the teacher is following their work, students are generally more serious and participate more actively.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of activities possible on a forum. Bring your own creativity to the fore as you explore the potential of a forum to meet your own particular needs within your own teaching context! There is no need to be a specialist to use a forum; you must try it to discover its potential.

Hopefully, the examples above have hinted at the potential of the electronic discussion forum. The nuts and bolts of creating and moderating one are broached in the following section - Practical Applications.

_____________

^{1Raymond Morin. « Le transfert intergénérationnel : un enjeu majeur pour le Québec. », published in CEFRIO in June 2003. [online] (Consulted February 6, 2008, but not currently available).}

^{2 Bernadette Charlier and others. « « Tuteurs en ligne » : Quels rôles ? Quelle formation ? ». [online], 2002, (Consulted February 6, 2008).}

^{3 Amaury Daele and Françoise Docq. « Le tuteur en ligne, quelles conditions d'efficacité dans un dispositif d'apprentissage collaboratif à distance ? » [online], 2002, (Consulted February 6, 2008).}

^{4 Cégep@distance, Collège Boréal and the Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques. Guide d'encadrement des cours Internet. [online] (Consulted January 23, 2008).}

Top of page

Next section >>

Comments by readersReact to this text

English
French

Your report has really helped my forum activities

Dear Sophie Ringuet, I read your report over the summer, actually I translated it, and I feel it is important for you to know how impressed I am with the results of putting even simple advice given in this report into action in a forum presented to my own students. 1. I did start with a social activity. Students did feel more relaxed having been 'socially' obligated to post at the beginning of the semester. 2. I made the forum directly linked to an important group project in my course. 3. Students are requested to post work on the forum for grades. 4. I spent a lot of time programming access to different topics for different groups and tailoring permissions so that there was a lot less confusion than on forums I have used in years past. 5. I am extremely aware of my role as a moderator and am present on the forum to get participants over rough spots and dispense information. Thanks to your report, I was able to take a more analytical approach to the forum, and I have been rewarded with almost shockingly enthusiastic participation which I did not have before.

Norman Spatz, teacher, Cégep du Vieux Montréal [2009-9-09]

Forum gestion

Merci pour ce dossier. Après lecture de votre article je me demandais si il n'y avait pas avantage à construire un forum sur les thèmes principaux d'un cours (exemple thème du des cours de la semaine) afin que les utilisateurs puissent mieux s'orienter dans le forum qui selon certaine plateforme (ex. WEBCT) n'est pas toujours un outil convivial pour suivre un sujet et non un débat qui souvent dérive! Ces thèmes seraient identifiés par l'enseignant et il pourrait dû fait même suivre les thèmes d'intérêt ou encore ceux problématiques.

Guy Cardinal, Étudiant DÉSS Tech. éducatives, U Laval [2010-4-01]

Une recherche de votre part sera nécessaire

Profweb s'intéresse à l'intégration des TIC pour l'ordre d'enseignement collégial (équivalent du lycée en France). Comme nous ne connaissons pas de banques pour les autres ordres d'enseignement, il sera nécessaire que vous entrepreniez votre propre recherche. Toutefois, les idées proposées dans ce dossier peuvent être transférées pour votre contexte. Bonne chance dans votre recherche ou votre adaptation!

Françoise Marceau, Conseillère pédagogique, Profweb [2009-3-12]

Question

Je voudrais trouver un site qui propose des situations problèmes pour l'enseignement primaire.

mohamed sahel, inspecteur de l'éducation , Algérie [2009-2-28]

Types de textes

Je voudrais des activités d'écriture concernant les Types de textes: Narratif - informatif - argumentatif.

Azzeddine Allaoui, Inspecteur de l'éducation et de l'enseignement moyen (français), Direction de l'éducation Tlemcen - Algérie [2008-11-06]

Très intéressant !

Ce dossier est vraiment complet et démontre bien des exemples d'utilisation efficace du forum de discussion comme outil pédagogique. Les suggestions d'activités d'apprentissage sont pertinentes. Je fais présentement une formation universitaire à distance et je sais combien l'outil forum est important pour éviter que les élèves ne se sentent isolés.

Nancy Boucher, Enseignante, Maison Familiale Rurale du Granit [2008-6-25]

Inspirant et ça fonctionne!

Très bien documenté et très intéressant votre texte. J'utilise le forum avec LÉA pour préparer mes étudiants et étudiantes aux examens. Je pose une série de questions, je les laisse répondre et se répondre et j'interviens au besoin. Je viens d'aller voir la participation pour l'examen final de la semaine prochaine et je vois des chiffres comme 66, 64, 52 consultations pour chacune des questions. Eh! bien, ça fonctionne et ça communique!

Julie Frève, Enseignante, Cégep Limoilou [2008-5-01]

Inspirant

Ce document a l'avantage de lier la pratique à la théorie, de démystifier les rôles de chacun et les attentes des apprenants. Merci de ce résumé inspirant.

Claudette Ouellette, Conseillère et coordonnatrice, Plateforme collégiale DECclic [2008-4-22]

Post your comments below! Spaces marked with an asterisk (*) are obligatory

Last name :

First name :

E-Mail Address :

Function :

Organization :