Are your online discussion forums more ghost town than an actively engaging online learning space? Here are 6 success factors for educators who use Moodle.

1. Discussion forums
6 Success factors
KerryJ
Online Educational Designer

2. Engagement
“Being cognitively, emotionally and behaviourally (sic)
involved...” (Koh, 2009 as quoted in Salter, Conneely 2015)

3. Ways of using discussion forums
Mason, 1998
• Content and support
• Integrated
• Wrap around

4. Types of Moodle forums
Simple
General
Q&A
Tutor post
Response Response Response
Post Post Post Post
Tutor Question
Response Response Response

5. Participation killers

6. Frequency

7. Frequency solution
Talk with other coordinators
Make forum discussions count
Consider other types of interactions

8. Question types
Answer this
question…

9. Question type solution
Give it the Google test
Make it messy
Ask them WHY
Use a Q&A forum for a right/wrong question

10. No set start and end
Where is
everyone?

11. Solution: “Active” and “Archived” forums
“Forums are active for the week in which the topic is taught.
Once a discussion is summarised by the tutor, they will remain
open, but only for archival purposes.”

12. Confusion about responsiveness

13. Solution: Manage expectations
“Unless mediation is required, I will not be responding to
individual posts, but rather summarising the discussion at its
end.
The effectiveness of this forum – as in discussions you have in
face to face classes - depends wholly on everyone’s
participation.”

14. No content
guidelines
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elementum quam, a eleifend orci porttitor quis. Nullam a eros viverra, tempus
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vehicula enim non erat posuere, eget molestie tortor eleifend. Etiam id ex ut
turpis vehicula tempus a sed arcu. Aliquam erat volutpat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent at porttitor
eros, at tempor tortor. Sed convallis vulputate lacinia. Donec consectetur tellus
in dictum volutpat. Etiam gravida quis nulla eu sagittis. Aliquam a turpis et
augue aliquet aliquet nec sed mi. Aliquam maximus, justo id feugiat
consectetur, orci purus lacinia lectus, vel scelerisque ligula quam sed eros. Sed
in justo fringilla, eleifend diam et, sollicitudin augue. Aenean tellus tortor,
feugiat sed faucibus eget, dictum eu ex. Ut sit amet neque purus.

15. No standards of netiquette

16. Guidelines and standards
In 100-250 words, using formal sentence structures…
Once you have posted, respond to the posts of at least two
others. In your responses, address the following points…
When presenting feedback, use objective, evidence-based
statements related to the topic. Never attack people
personally.

17. Tutor under-participation

18. Fred, good observation.
Tutor over-participation
Yes Bruce, that’s right.
No Jane, I think what Sonya meant was…
Mohammed, you could answer George
like this..
That’s incorrect Kim and here’s why…

19. Solution: for tutor participation
Summarise – don’t monopolise
Referee when required

20. Forum success factors
• One part of the interaction mix
• Open, meaty questions
• Set open and close dates
• Manage expectations
• Set guidelines and rules of etiquette
• Summarise, don’t monopolise

21. Discussion forums
6 Success factors
KerryJ
Online Educational Designer
kerry.johnson@unisa.edu.au