Just a quickie - I am making a presentation about Moodle and I am going to use the Progression list in the docs in Pedagogy here: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Pedagogy#Progression
...number 2 is Passive forum - but I'm not sure what that means? Does it mean a news forum where somebody just posts information for students to read? Or is there more to it than that?
PASSIVE FORUM: I don't use this term, but I take it to mean a forum with no specific connection to the cours, no active involvement by the teacher, no facilitation, it is just there. In some courses I have seen, the teacher never even refers to this.
OPTIONAL FORUM: A forum where a teacher posts the odd comment, encourages this as an avenue for questions/comments (ie keep then out of e-mail!!!!!!!!!!!) is the opposite.
Story: This is a cool use: in 2009 we put 650 engineering students into an optional forum on the weekly problems, and had 40 or so threads, most of them on one or other of the weekly problems, some socilising, some exam questions. And thousands of hits. The tutors anecdotally think 1) they had less foot traffic to their door and 2) better engagement in the tutor groups.
The question "Is the arrow in Q3.4 exactly vertical or just very close to it?" is a legitimate question. Answering it in a forum can move students forward a LOT. Hence saves time and improves learning. Win win.
REQUIRED: The next level is''required" interaction. Please post this week - respond to the comment in the forums. In NZ we have a course completion requirement in may courses, eg attendence, weekly review sheets, posting in forums/blogs. ie it is not graded as such, but needs to happen to pass. Many teachers use this engagement to determine the boundaries. eg, determine the A+ students and to help a C- student into a pass.
GRADED: formal assessment activities.
Another topic.
My theories on the questions.
Cheers Mary, enjoy the presentation. Let us know the outcomes.
Thanks Derek - it's as I suspected really.