Online Learning Environments

Discussion Forums

Discussion forums (also known as online forums, discussion boards and online discussions) have been around since the early days of the internet and have changed little over the years. The general principle behind them is to provide a place for people at a distance and at different times to come together to talk about a common subject.

Discussion forums have also featured in online learning from the beginning because they offer a great way to:

• create a place for working through ideas without having to be in the same place at the same time 
• continue discussions that started in live sessions (virtual or face to face)
• allow students to prepare for upcoming sessions
• provide a space for students to collaborate with each other

Many discussion forums around the internet are for asking questions and providing answers (Q&A), but usually in educational settings forums are for generating deeper knowledge about a specific topic or following a question posed by a tutor.  Many students find it easier to formulate their thoughts and respond better when they have time to reflect on a topic and carefully write their answers than they do on the spur of the moment speaking up in a classroom. Online forums allow these students to excel.

Netiquette

To get the most out of discussions in online forums, certain rules for behaviour have become commonplace, and the term netiquette (a combination of "net" and "etiquette"). These rules are designed to establish trust within the group and keep the discussion pleasant and focused on the topic, such as:

• Be professional, thoughtful, truthful and sincere. The goal is to learn and not to show off, have a laugh or disrupt other students.
• Don't be afraid to join in -- sitting back and reading without contributing is called "lurking".
• On the other hand, try not to dominate discussion: give other students the opportunity to join in.
• Keep on the topic: if you have something off-topic you really want to say, start another discussion thread in the same forum or elsewhere.
• Keep the discussion polite and write in language appropriate to an academic setting. 
• Respect your fellow students and do not share personal or sensitive information. 
• Keep an open mind and be willing to express and consider less popular opinions,  
• Be very careful with humour: jokes and sarcasm can seem much stronger and more hurtful on the screen than in person. 
• Try to use correct grammar and spelling, but be generous and don't call attention to anyone who makes mistakes. The ideas are what's important, but good grammar and spelling help to get those ideas across more clearly.
• Avoid using all capital (upper case) letters since this can be interpreted as shouting.
• Don't rely on Emojis to do your talking for you. Some courses will ban them completely, preferring you to express yourself in writing.

"Older students need to invest time as soon as possible to become familiar and confident with digital skills so that they do not become a barrier to learning." Matthew, 2nd-year student