Presented by Dr. Chan Chang Tik

1. Online Forum Discussion Presented by Dr. Chan Chang Tik

2. Why Online Discussion? What say you? Student Centred Learning Seminar Series Do I need to go online when I see my students everyday in the class?

3. Possible Reasons Student Centred Learning Seminar Series According to Lazenby (2003) most lecturers put emphasizes on lecturing and testing, instead of facilitating students to constructknowledge collaboratively. Online platform gives them a chance to reflect on their thought, gather and organize their ideas before presenting them in the forum.

4. Possible Reasons cont. Student Centred Learning Seminar Series Using e-learning is not only to create an anywhere, anytime learning environment, but also to create an interactive and collaborative learning environment(Woodill, 2004 and Cummings, Book & Jacobs, 2002).

5. Topic of Discussion Any suggestions? Student Centred Learning Seminar Series What to post for my students to discuss?

6. Suggested Topics Student Centred Learning Seminar Series • FOBA • If you have to pay 30¢ more for a plate of fried noodle because petrol price went up 30¢ per liter, would you complaint? • The share markets in South East Asia including China have gone up substantially, is it a good news?

7. Suggested Topics cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series • FOLA • Suggest ways and means to make students speak proper English. • What are the causes of Johore floods? • David Beckham decision to go to the United States is to make Americans love football and not for financial gain, do you agree?

8. Suggested Topics cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series • FAS • Imagine your car running on cooking oil. What are the consequences? • China managed to shoot down a weather satellite, mathematically speaking how is it possible? • You are trying your luck at Genting casino playing roulette, what are the odds against you?

9. Suggested Topics cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series • FOCIT • Virus either biological or mechanical, is destructive. How would you fight it? • FOEAT • Petronas Twin Tower is the pride of the nation. If there is an earth tremor how save are you on the Sky Bridge?

10. Sources of Topics Student Centred Learning Seminar Series You can ask your students to read articles from the Internet and discuss in the forum. Your students can even discuss their assignment answers in the forum. You can also include your tutorial questions for discussion.

11. Sources of Topics cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series For a start, we should pick interesting topicsthat relate to the students. Choose current and hot topics. Avoid sensitive topics like religion and politic. Award them marks for the online discussion (optional).

12. Few or No Responses Student Centred Learning Seminar Series Avoid the temptation to jump in with public praise for the first few postings. Adopt a stance of “sitting on ones’ hands”. Waiting avoids curtailing peer conversation and invites additional participation (Rowe, 1969).

13. Few or No Responses cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series Send private emailto early contributors can encourage active participation. Email should be sent to late starters too. E-instructor should demonstrate that he is reading students postings by providing regular and private feedback. Respond immediately to technical questions or queries about what to do.

14. Few or No Responses cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series If there is no response at all for a day or two, post an encouraging note to the forum at the same time refrain from nagging or invoking feelings of guilt over presumed poor performance.

15. Few or No Responses cont… Student Centred Learning Seminar Series • Recap • Do not jump in too soon • Send private emails • Respond to technical problems • Post encouraging notes in the forum

16. Sustain Momentum • When the participants are either avoiding learning objectives or straying off-course, you should not jump in and say something like “You’re headed in the wrong direction …” it can be a jarring interruption. • You can use a generative guidewhich serve as an indirect intervention to regain the initial target of the dialogue. Technical Training and Seminar Series

17. Sustain Momentum cont… • A generative guide begins by engaging readers with a few key phrases excerpted from initial comments: • Mary is concerned the readings don’t address … • Mark would prefer the authors had said more about … • Recognizing there are obstacles to be contended with, you comments call for … • A generative guide identifying directionpoints students where to head for more fruitful engagement with the content. Technical Training and Seminar Series

18. Sustain Momentum cont… • Another quandary is “What should I do with dialogues that are overwhelmed with postings though lacking in focus?” • You can use a reflective guidethat mirrors the best insights and organizes the rich brainstorms into a few salient categories. Technical Training and Seminar Series

19. Sustain Momentum cont… • An example of a reflective guide: I agree with Megan that this has been a great discussion so far. Lee mentioned listening … reverberate throughout your postings here. It got me thinking a bit … what strategies can be used …? Technical Training and Seminar Series

20. Sustain Momentum cont… • Is it pedagogically sound for you to make summary near the end of a dialogue activity? • Learning opportunities are missed when summaries make the thinking sound completed. • You should set up a platform that highlights intriguing tensions and honoursconflicting perspective to encourage further discovery and insight. Technical Training and Seminar Series

21. Sustain Momentum cont… • Techniques of questioningis one of the strategies that can serve to deepen a developing dialogue: • “So what?” • Clarification of meaning • Exploration of assumptions • Identification of causes and effects • Questions that consider appropriate action Give examples Technical Training and Seminar Series

22. Sustain Momentum cont… • Tone of your voicein the forum can have an impact on further dialogue when crafting intervention. • Tones that are guiding rather than leading sound neutral or genuinely seeking clarity. • Examples of guiding tonesare: • “I was intrigued …” • “Mary’s comment got me thinking …” • “John’s idea that … made me wonder …” Technical Training and Seminar Series

23. Sustain Momentum cont… • Leading tonescan have a teacher-on-centre-stage ring in it. For examples: • “We should follow Anne’s idea …” • “Great comment, John! Thanks for pointing out …” • Public evaluationsof individuals’ contributions serve to suggest the answer the instructor seeks has been expressed. Further dialogue may be deterred with such messages. Technical Training and Seminar Series

24. Sustain Momentum cont… • Regular, constructive private feedbackcan extend collaborative dialogue (Haavind, 2004). • Both acknowledgement of thoughtful contributions and explicit suggestions of ways to incite collaborative exchange are useful. Technical Training and Seminar Series

25. Sustain Momentum cont… • Examples of private feedback are: • “cite peers more often or more carefully” • “identify themes in peers’ postings” • “ask questions along with contributing ideas” Technical Training and Seminar Series

26. Sustain Momentum cont… • Recap • Off course use generative guide to identify direction • Lacking in focus use reflective guide • Summary • Techniques of questioning • Tone of your voice – guiding or leading • Public evaluation • Regular constructive private feedback Technical Training and Seminar Series

27. Thank you Student Centred Learning Seminar Series