The Effective Use of Online Discussion Forums

If you were to conduct a study of online courses in higher education, you would probably find that most courses include a discussion forum of some sort.  “Discussion forums are widely implemented in university contexts as an important part of the teaching and learning process” [1].   Discussion forums have come to be an important part of online education for several reasons.  When structured properly, they can meet the online student’s need for socialization, interaction, and collaboration, which foster a sense of belonging that may not normally occur in an online course (but that may occur naturally in face-to-face courses held on university campuses).  Discussion forums can help students to become engaged in the course, which is an important part of the learning process.  They are also very flexible tools, which can be used in a variety of ways to facilitate learning.  As St. Clair notes, “Engaged learners listen, talk, respond, reflect, and contribute enormously to the dynamic and the progress of the class” [2]. St. Clair continues by noting that “One of the most important concepts is that the group of people engaged in learning functions in a holistic way – including the teacher.  We really are all in this together.”

This article will focus on best practices for the use of discussion forums in higher education.  It will also discuss common errors and practices to avoid when using discussion forums. 

A Few Words on Theory

Why are discussion forums effective tools in online education?  In order to answer that question, we can look at the theoretical bases that support the use of these tools.  Both constructivist theory and social learning theory are theoretical bases that support the use of discussion forums.  Constructivist theory posits that learning occurs, or knowledge is constructed, through experiences that are separated, considered, and reflected upon.  That process of making sense out of experiences is critical in the learning process, as new knowledge is constructed based on our existing knowledge.  Social learning theory focuses on learning from the observation of other people in social settings.  The interaction between people and their environments, the modeling of behaviors, and mentoring, socialization, and guiding are all factors in social learning [3]. While these are brief descriptions of significant theories, consider the aspects of constructivist theory and social learning theory discussed here, and how they might relate to student learning using discussion forums. 

Using Discussion Forums

Discussion forums can be used for a variety of activities in an online course.  In the following paragraphs are examples of how discussion forums can be used. 

Instructors can pose questions in discussion forums for students to address.  Students might simply be asked to respond to instructors’ questions.  Or there may be more interaction required.  When students post responses, the instructor can follow up with their own comments designed to have the student further reflect and consider their responses in more detail than they may have done originally.  The instructor can probe for more detail, ask the student to consider other variables, or bring up other points of view for the student to consider.  The instructor can also share their own experiences with the learners in these forums. 

Instructors can ask students to pose their own questions for other students (and the instructor) to address.  While instructors may pose questions on discussion forums that may be of interest to the class, each individual student may take something out of a lesson that may not be addressed by the instructor.  Student discussion forums are ways for learners to pose questions of importance to them, and to facilitate online discussions on topics they are interested in (and familiar with).  Students who post questions should also be responsible for addressing the replies to their questions from others in the class.  This way, discussions among students can happen in these forums, much the same as discussions happen in a face-to-face classroom. 

Instructors can have students address activities such as case studies, games, and simulations (among others) in discussion forums.  Problem-based education is based on the assumption that learners like to solve problems, and that learners will look for information that helps them to be successful problem solvers [3]. Discussion forums can be developed to create space for learners to address problems, discuss solutions, and come to conclusions. This type of work can be done on an individual basis or also in small groups or teams. 

Students can post their own written assignments or projects in discussion forums for other students to critique.  While instructors are typically responsible for grading student work, another way of encouraging students to interact with each other is by having students critique the work of other students in discussion forums.  Students may be asked to post written assignments in a discussion forum, for example, and other students may critique their work, offering their perspectives and experiences.  This should not take the place of the official grading done by the instructor, but it is a good way for learners to gather feedback from multiple sources.

The use of artificial intelligence technology, such as ChatGPT, can be useful in discussion forums, as well.  An instructor might ask ChatGPT to address a question involving course content and then post the question and the ChatGPT response in a discussion forum for students to critique.  This can help students to learn about technology in addition to course content. 

Issues to Consider When Using Discussion Forums

As noted previously, there are several different ways that discussion forums can be used in online education.  There are some warnings, or cautions, to consider when using discussion forums, as well.  Some issues to consider are noted here. 

Course goals and objectives should be considered.  Sometimes instructors think they have to use all the tools in an online course simply because they are available.  However, that is not the case, and the use of superfluous tools in an online course may cause learners to become disinterested in the course and tune out.  Discussion forums, like all other teaching tools, should be used only if their use aligns with the goals and objectives of a course.  If discussion of topics does not add to the course, discussion forums should not be used.  Even within a course, some topics lend themselves to rigorous and interesting discussions of different viewpoints and perspectives.  Others do not.  Use discussion forums only when they bring value to the course.

The course environment should be considered, as well.  If an instructor decides to use discussion forums in an online course, the creation of an effective environment is an important first step in ensuring quality discussions occur in those forums.  Characteristics of that type of inclusive and welcoming course environment, in which learners feel free to share their thoughts and experiences include the following:

• A focus on the learner and activities designed around the needs of the learner.
• An environment of open communication and trust among the students and between the students and the instructor
• An atmosphere that is informal, collaborative, and supportive.
• Clearly-stated expectations, so students know what they need to do (and when).
• Information on how student performance in discussion forums is assessed [3].

The questions to be posed in discussion forums should be well thought out, paying special attention to the question type and the content.  Open-ended questions work well in discussion forums, as they allow for a wide range of responses.  Closed-ended questions (those that can be answered with a “yes” or “no” or with a few words) do not work well in these types of forums.  Questions should be related to course content and should also be meaningful, focusing on important points in the course.  In an introduction to adult education class, asking students to compare and contrast two different philosophies of adult education allows for a good deal of meaningful discussion.  In a program evaluation course, asking students to consider when they might use one of the many approaches to evaluation in their own work is another way of generating substantial discussion. 

Instructors should share guidelines or instructions for discussion forum participation up front.  Guidelines for learners might address elements that constitute a quality response or posting, instructions for posting appropriate questions in student discussion forums, and requirements for when posts are done.  Information on how discussion forums are graded should also be included. Guidelines should encourage students to post meaningful content in discussion forums.  Noting what not to do should also be presented in these guidelines (for example, responding “I agree” to a colleague’s post does not constitute a meaningful response). 

Another thing to address in discussion forum guidelines is frequency of posts.  In order for meaningful discussion to take place in a discussion forum, students should be logging on and participating at multiple times throughout a lesson or unit.  If students are asked to address questions posed by their colleagues in a student discussion forum, for example, the questions should be posted early in the unit, so students have time to consider them and respond to them.  If a student waits until the very end of a unit to post a question, it is too late for anyone to respond. 

More specific guidelines can be set for each lesson or unit.  For example, in one unit, you might have students respond to at least two questions posed by their colleagues in a student discussion forum.  In another unit, you might ask students to review and critique the essays of at least five of their colleagues in class.  It is best to set specific requirements regarding the number of posts required in each lesson or unit, so students understand what is expected of them up front.   

Instructors should have a plan for how to teach in discussion forums.  A great deal of learning can occur in discussion forums, and even more learning can occur when instructors are involved in teaching in these forums.  Some of the best ways to teach in discussion forums come when instructors respond to student posts.  In these responses, instructors can:

• Pose further questions.
• Ask for clarifications.
• Offer different viewpoints or perspectives.
• Tie topics together and connect ideas.
• Praise students who make good points.

While there are quite a few examples noted above, instructors should guard against dominating discussion forums.  Instructors shouldn’t simply post “correct answers” on discussion forums, nor should they dominate forum conversations.  There is a balance that instructors must achieve when teaching using discussion forums, and that balance involves providing students with enough information to help them learn but not providing them with so much information that they don’t have to think about how to respond.  An instructor may have the urge to post the “correct” answer in response to another post (or in response to a question posed by the instructor to start with).  However, it is often better to use the methods noted in the point above to help students think more deeply, or in different ways.  Discussion forums work best when all participants are free to share their thoughts in an encouraging, inclusive environment; not when an instructor (or a student) dominates conversations.   

Group size is important to consider when organizing discussion forums.  Just as in a face-to-face classroom, too many students in a discussion forum can make participation difficult.  When classes have a lot of students, instructors may consider breaking the students into smaller groups to discuss things in discussion forums.  Research on the optimal number of group members in an online discussion group varies, though.  A group size of eight to 10 students seems to be about average [4, 5], but that does depend on the type of discussion.  When students critique the written assignments of their colleagues, for example, larger groups may work so students have options regarding what papers and topics they want to critique. 

Feedback should be provided in a timely manner.  The benefit of providing students with guidelines, expectations, and grading criteria for discussion forum participation up front is that it makes it easier to provide feedback to students.  Feedback should be specific and, when applicable, accompanied by strategies for improvement or the remedying of poor performance [6].

Discussion Forum Assessment

Providing timely feedback regarding student performance in discussion forums is important.  When assessing student performance in discussion forums, align performance criteria with guidelines and expectations that are provided to students up front (and that are discussed above).  Students can be assessed on their discussion forum performance in the following ways:

• Number of posts per unit.
• Frequency of posts over the course of the unit.
• Quality of posts.
• Connections made to course content.
• Application of course content to real-world situations.
• Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.

Note that while all of the above criteria can be used to assess student performance, there is disagreement about whether grammar, spelling, and sentence structure should be considered in assessing discussion forum participation.  Those who equate discussion forum participation to actual discussions in a face-to-face course argue that students are not evaluated on grammar and sentence structure when talking in a face-to-face course, so those things should not matter in an online forum equivalent to a face-to-face discussion.  Others may want to consider these things. The important thing is to let learners know up front how they will be assessed with regard to discussion forum participation.

Summary

If used correctly, discussion forums can offer a variety of benefits to students and instructors.  Following the guidelines presented in this article will help make discussion forum use an interesting and beneficial part of an online course.

References

About the Author

Steven W. Schmidt is a professor of adult education and the Adult Education Program Coordinator in the Higher, Adult, and Counselor Education Department at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in adult education from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Schmidt’s major areas of research and writing activity include workplace training and development, cultural competence, and online teaching and learning.

Dr. Schmidt served on the board of directors for the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) from 2009–2015, including a term as president of the association in 2014. He also served as chair of the AAACE Commission for Professors of Adult Education (CPAE) from 2019–2021. He was the recipient of the AAACE Presidential Award for Exceptional and Innovative Leadership in Adult and Continuing Education in 2022. His research studies have been published in a variety of journals, and he has made presentations at national and international conferences. Additionally, he serves on editorial review boards of several major journals that focus on adult education and human resource development. He is the author of two books: Case Studies and Activities in Adult Education and Human Resource Development and Organization and Administration of Adult Education Programs.

Prior to joining the faculty of East Carolina University in 2006, Schmidt spent 18 years in the Fortune 500, working in the areas of marketing, public relations, and employee training and development.