RSA2: Questioning the Necessity of Nonacademic Social Discussion Forums Within Online Courses

Sunday, April 9, 2011
RSA 2: Questioning the Necessity of Nonacademic Social Discussion Forums Within Online Courses
EDT 6030
by Wendy Bedell
Online link: http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/results?sid=ee09400a-76a0-45ac-b5fc-a7d79b533d17%40sessionmgr13&vid=2&hid=8&bquery=%28questioning+AND+the+AND+necessity+AND+of+AND+nonacademic+AND+social+AND+discussion%29&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zODQxOTIzOSZkYj1lcmljJnR5cGU9MCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d

The first three chapters of Palloff and Pratt’s Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom (2007) dealt mostly with maintaining a human connection while facilitating on online learning environment. I found these chapters enlightening because of the blended format of our current program. When we took our first class, I didn’t really like the format. I missed the classroom structure. This class has been better because I am adjusting to the change. Now that I have read these chapters, I can understand and appreciate the reasons for some of the assignments and requests that were made of us. I think I will be a better participant in the online learning from now on.

There were many connections that I made between our class and the book. I enjoyed our first assignment, which was to introduce ourselves. By posting these introductions it gave us a chance for “parts of our personality to emerge” (p. 14). Blackboard has been a helpful tool in the transition between the traditional learning and online learning. “When teaching and learning leave the classroom, it is up to the instructor to create an effective container within which the course proceeds by posting goals, objectives, and expected outcomes for the course” (p. 19). Instructors in our program have done an excellent job at this. Finally, the book mentioned on several occasions that learners must also feel comfortable with the technology they are using. I would definitely say that instructors thus far have bent over backwards to help me in this area. By using skype, online office hours, email, podcasts, and helpful links (You Tube) I have become much more comfortable not only using technology, but more importantly, asking for help when I need it.

In the article Questioning the necessity of nonacademic social discussion forums within online courses by Pate, Smaldino, Mayall, and Luetkehans social presence was also discussed. The article put great emphasis on the instructor to facilitate social interactions. It suggests that the instructor should develop a “design that pushes the learner into the community of learners, so that socialization becomes an integrated part of the learning experience” (p.2). The article continues with a detailed explanation of a study about where social presence needs to exist in the course. The conclusion is that the instructor does not have to develop a separate area online for social interaction, but rather embed it into the learning content.

These readings were similar in many ways. For example, Pate, Smaldino, Mayall and Luetkehans state that “the concept of the instructor as a facilitator was an important component that linked to the perceived success of the participants in this study” (p.5). Palloff and Pratt would agree and state “instructors who do well online promote a sense of autonomy, initiative, and creativity while encouraging questioning, critical thinking, dialogue, and collaboration” (p. 40). The biggest difference between the readings is that the books suggests that there be a “homepage that others in the group can visit” much like “gathering on the campus of a university” (p. 14). This is similar to what we have in our class with Blackboard, and the space we are able to place off-topic comments. In the article I read, the findings of the study were that this was not necessary. It stated that the level of social presence was much higher in the FAQ section where the instructor was providing feedback, but nonexistent in the open comment area.

References

Pate, Ardelle. Smaldino, Sharon. Mayall, Hayley J. Luetkehans, Lara. (2009). Questioning the necessity of nonacademic social discussion forums within online courses. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education. Volume 10(1)

Palloff, Rena M. and Pratt, Keith (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.