Online education and
the development of strong interactive forums are important for drawing students
into discussions so that they can learn and develop. According to Peterson
& Caverly (2005) the online forum should take three theoretical aspects
that include social presence, cognitive presence and teacher presence. Each of
these aspects affords a more cohesive and developed approach to education.
Because education is a
social affair, it is important for colleges to develop methods for students to
both interact as well as learn. Learning requires a level of social pressure
and feedback that can found through both the instructor and other students. It
also helps students maintain their momentum in the learning process and find
support when it is needed.
Social
Presence:
Social presence is the
group learning process whereby students interact with each other and build a
community. It is important for students to have a method of showing their personality
so they can customize this learning process for their own needs. This social
presence is particularly effective for first generation students who need the
social support to be successful as their families are limited in understanding
(Filkins & Doyle, 2002).
Social presence works
in much the same way as Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media networks.
Like trial versions, when students and customers can build an identity it helps
them associate that identity with the university and the educational process.
Offering customizable profiles may allow students to find networks for support
as well as association in the forums with people that are perceived as more
“real” and worthy of meaningful conversation.
Cognitive
Presence:
The cognitive presence
is the full engagement of the student’s mind. It requires the consistent
communication so the student moves through a series of new understandings. It
is a process of constant discussion and feedback from other students and the
instructor. By engaging the student actively within the forum, it is also
possible to engage their thought processes.
Such forums should
require a level of writing and writing in order to be effective. It is not
enough to go blindly through the motions of posting a particular amount but to
create substantive responses that ensure that students are actually processing
the information. Requiring such forums to be graded is a benefit to ensure
active engagement and cognitive engagement.
Teacher
Presence:
Having the instructor actively
engage in the forums, helps to encourage students to not only stay on the right
path but also to encourage them to think about alternative explanations.
Students want to engage with their instructors in ways that help them
understand the material. It is a process of relationship building and
development.
According to
Benbuiian-Fich, Hiltz & Harisim (2005) such forums should include idea
generation, idea linking and convergence. Forums should be a place to
brainstorm ideas, finding the linking of the material relevant to their lives
and then a solidification of that information for practical use. The more the
instructor can help students do this through asking questions the better the
student will be able to move through this process and have it enhance their
educational process.
Peterson, C. &
Calverly, D. (2005). Techtalk: Building academic literacy through online
discussion forums. Journal of
Developmental Education, 29 (2).
Filkings, J. &
Doyle, S. (2002). First generation and
low income students: visiting the NSSE data to study effective educational
practices and students self-reported gains. Paper presented at the annual
forum association for institutional research, Toronto.
Benbuiian-Fitch, R., Hiltz, & Harasim, L.
(2005). The online interaction teaming model: an integrated theoretical
framework for online networks. In Hiltz & Goldman’s Learning Together Online. Research on asynchronous learning networks.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
