ETEC 532 Vignette #2

"What should I post on the Learning Platform's discussion forum?"

Scott Meech
 The desired learning outcomes of this assignment were defined as students learning what it

means to make a substantive response, and from the final paragraph of the vignette we can determine

that these outcomes were met. The vignette states that the students responses grew longer and more

thoughtful as the course progressed, showing the students learned how to better reply factually and

completely to the issues raised by the questions. The role of the teacher seems to be limited to helping

begin the discussion by positing questions on controversial topics related to Golding's Lord of the Flies; I

also assume there is a face-to-face role for the teacher to guide the students into understanding what a

critical and thoughtful response is, as well as lead the student to an understanding of how to engage

with the ideas of their peers in the discussion forum although that is not formally mentioned in the

vignette. Student roles for this assignment are simple, they are to first read the Lord of the Flies novel,

then participate in the online forum over a two week period, and post at least 5 responses in a

substantive manner. It is plain to see that the learning environment is the online forum, which shows

that technology plays a key role in this vignette. By stating that the students got used to the medium of

the online forum, and that the quiet and reserved students were able to more fully participate in a

discussion they may not have been able to in a face-to-face forum shows that the forum enhanced the

learning experience for all students and provided more opportunity to practice their writing. I also

assume that the use of a discussion forum allowed students to engage in giving and receiving more

feedback than if their class was strictly face-to-face. The only limitations or challenges I can see are the

asynchronous format, which may be trying for students who are used to the instant gratification of the

synchronous abilities of social media, discussions getting side-tracked or not being in line with the

desired outcomes, and students feeling that they don't know where to start with answering the

discussion questions.

Similarly to our current discussion forum style in 532, I would implement a smaller group

discussion which could be encouraged to take place in both asynchronously and synchronously. This
could address some of the students' NetGen needs for instant gratification (Tapscott, 2008), as well as

possibly facilitate deeper engagement. To deal with side-tracked discussions or students not knowing

where to start, I believe increased instructor presence in the discussion forum is the answer. Research

suggests that instructional delivery modes (face-to-face or online) do not have as strong of an effect on

promoting active engagement with course material as does the teacher's level of interactivity

(Mandernach et al., 2009). This suggests that teachers need to make their presence felt in online

discussion forums, as online forums alone do not possess the ability to enhance critical thinking but can

only act as a platform to aid the teacher in encouraging both increased student engagement and critical

thinking. Teacher presence in online discussion forums may have an impact on student perceptions and

participation (Dennen, 2011). An idea that pedagogical roles of the teacher are shifting from sage to

guide (Dennen, 2011) purveys in much of the recent educational literature, and this suggests greater

levels of interactivity, not less. I view the role of a guide or facilitator as two-fold, one to help learners

keep on topic and flowing towards the learning objectives, and two inspiring engagement with the

material. I see no way for this to happen than in maintaining a balanced presence in the discussions.

One suggestion I find helpful is for teachers to provide the initial response to all discussion topics as a

way of establishing the teacher's presence before students make their own posts (Shaw, 2014). This will

not only establishes teacher presence but also will act as a scaffold to help students understand what is

expected of them and where to start from.

References

Dennen, V. (2011). Facilitator presence and identity in online discourse: Use of positioning theory as an

analytic framework. Instructional Science, 39(4), 527-541. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/stable/23882879

Mandernach, B. J., Forrest, K. D., Babutzke, J. L., & Manker, L. R. (2009). The role of instructor

interactivity in promoting critical thinking in online and face-to-face classrooms. MERLOT Journal

of Online Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 49. Retrieved from

http://jolt.merlot.org/vol5no1/mandernach_0309.pdf

Shaw, M. (2014, December 9). Online Discussion Boards: Strategies to Ease Instructor Burden and

Promote Student Learning. Retrieved from https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/online-

discussion-boards-strategies-ease-instructor-burden-promote-student-learning/

Tapscott, D. (2008). Net Geners Relate to News in New Ways. Nieman Reports; Winter 2008 62(4) 18-19.

Retrieved from http://niemanreports.org/articles/net-geners-relate-to-news-in-new-ways/