This paper describes how a knowledge building community (KBC) of preservice teachers used an on-line discussion forum to develop knowledge about the role of the teacher in modern schools. It traces their initial use of the technology and follows the evolution of its use over a three-year period describing the role of the students and university lecturers in facilitating discussion. The paper th...

4,000 members from over 110 countries who can take part in the online discussion forum on the website www. dermoscopy-ids.org. The members share cases of interest with each other by entering clinical data and images as well as dermoscopic images to an input mask and pose questions pertaining to diagnosis, treatment or dermoscopic features of the lesions. The consultants of the forum then respon...

Discussion forums in massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a primary means of interaction among learners and instructors. Despite their widespread use there is concern that forums are not an effective means of promoting engagement and learning. This paper examines issues relating to forums through a brief literature review and by drawing on data from a specific MOOC run by the University of W...

4,000 members from over 110 countries who can take part in the online discussion forum on the website www. dermoscopy-ids.org. The members share cases of interest with each other by entering clinical data and images as well as dermoscopic images to an input mask and pose questions pertaining to diagnosis, treatment or dermoscopic features of the lesions. The consultants of the forum then respon...

Information and communication technology (ICT) enables discussion at a distance and without it being simultaneous. This we can call e-discussion. The supporting technical system is often called a forum system. Learning can be supported by ICT. Here, the focus is on communication between people , mainly on how collaborative learning can be supported through forum systems. When participants thems...

A forum is a valuable tool to foster reflection in an in-depth discussion; however, it forces the course mediator to continually pay close attention in order to coordinate learners’ activities. Moreover, monitoring a forum is time consuming given that it is impossible to know in advance when new messages are going to be posted. Additionally, a forum may be inactive for a long period and suddenl...

Online forum assignments are one of the main tools for collaborative learning. This study examines the impact of compulsory submission on the effectiveness of forum assignments. It compares the grades of 120 MBA students who studied an advanced elective course in a blended distance learning university during the years 2005-2009. Some students were required to participate in a forum assignment a...

An e-learning discussion forum, an essential component of today’s e-learning systems, offers a platform for social learning activities. However, as learners participate in the discussion forum, privacy emerges as a major concern. Privacy concerns in social learning activities originate from one learner’s inability to convey a desired presentation of oneself to another learner. A user-controlled...