Discussions 4.2.3

• What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective?  When discussion forums are monitored and used correctly, they can be an excellent form of classroom interaction.  They can promote critical thinking and online collaboration between students.  During my master's program, discussion forums were a critical part of our curriculum.  I was able to learn so much more about the content through discussion with my teacher and peers.  

• How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool?  I think discussion forums give every student an opportunity to participate in their learning, and let their voice be heard among their classmates.  This is important because students know that they are an active contributor to their learning.  They can also gain insight through communication with their peers and teachers.  

• How could they be used effectively and ineffectively? Furthermore, what are some best practices for facilitating forums online?  The most effective way to use the discussion forum is to have it as a vital part of the online classroom.  Because students are learning online, they often miss out on the interaction with others.  By providing a discussion forum on a regular basis, they can get an interaction experience more similar to someone in a face to face classroom.  If teachers neglect the forum, or do not incorporate it in the lessons, then the discussion forum becomes very ineffective and brings no benefit to the students.