Discussion forums play an important
role in the online classroom. From the student's perspective,
discussion forums give the opportunity to exchange thoughts, share
opinions, connect with each other, and build knowledge together.
From the instructor's perspective, discussion forums represent a
highly effective teaching and assessment tool. When students respond
to prompts that require higher order thinking skills, instructors can
use these responses to evaluate the mastery level of skills and
standards. With this assessment data, instruction can be adjusted
accordingly to meet students' needs.
In order to facilitate discussions
effectively, it is essential for instructors to be present and active
in the online forum. It is also critical that instructors respond to
the first thread of all student responses to make sure that the
essential elements are being addressed in the post. Lastly, when
giving feedback, instructors must follow a rubric and be very
specific regarding expectations and quality of student responses.
Rigor is a key component in discussion forums' effectiveness.
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