If you haven’t used the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) Discussion Forum feature in your course yet, you may wish to consider setting up one or many forums for your students to express and refine their understanding of important concepts. A discussion forum can enable effective learning when used by a small group with specific individual assignments to be posted for peer-to-peer review and critique.

Creating Discussion Forums in IVLE

To take advantage of this feature you need to have already created an IVLE Course Outline for your particular course. IVLE tools such as the discussion forum, chat rooms, course FAQs, etc. are linked to the course title and course code submitted when the IVLE Course Outline was created. If you haven’t created a Course Outline, access the IVLE workspace (http://ivle.nus.edu.sg/) and log in. At the top of the screen, click on ‘Create’. Then fill-in the information requested and ‘Submit’ each section (Particulars, Lecturers, Schedule, Prerequisites, Synopsis, etc.) and your course outline information will become available to all.

Now, to create a discussion forum. Access your IVLE WORKSPACE and select ‘Discussion Forums’ under ‘Tools Setup’ (right of the screen).

All of the Discussion Forums you have created are displayed on the DISCUSSION FORUMS screen. If you wish to modify or delete an already existing discussion forum, select it by clicking the radio button and then clicking ‘Modify’ or ‘Delete’ at the bottom of the screen. If you wish to create a new discussion forum, then click on ‘Create Discussion Forum’.

The CREATE FORUM screen shows all the Course Outlines that you have created. Select the course outline for which you wish to create one or more discussion forums. As default setting, the course title is assigned to the discussion forum to be created. However, it is better that you key in a more meaningful title if you are going to create many forums for one course (i.e. one per work-group for many small groups). Click on ‘Create’ at the bottom of the screen. The forum is automatically created and ready for you to specify its properties and input your initial instructions.

You can modify the forum particulars such as the course code, title and start and end date; indicate the access rights i.e. open to all or to class roster only; and assign manager rights to other staff. You can also chose to be notified by email when new items are posted to the forum, and select the number of topics that the forum user will see on one screen. Finally, you may choose to delete messages after a certain number of days from their posting. However, this is NOT recommended for a collaborative group-work environment. As a revision, students should be able to review all messages posted during the semester.

Please note the ‘Guideline’ menu option. Advise your students to read these tips adapted from the European Telework Online (http://www.eto.org.uk), as they provide the first-time user with an understanding of discussion forum etiquette, and how to communicate effectively within the constraints of the discussion forum structure. All users of the discussion forum are also reminded to read the ‘NUS Acceptable Use Policy’ and the ‘NUS Netiquette Guidelines’.

Your discussion forum should have a welcome message to its users. This welcome message could also include a set of instructions for online interaction and/or an online assignment. Keep in mind that students may need to be trained, i.e. in a face-to-face session, on how to use this communication tool and on what is expected of them in their assignment.

Also note that you can access information on who has accessed the forum. Specifically you can see who has posted topics and who has posted messages. You can also get a breakdown of the ‘Forum Activity’ indicating the total number of topics and messages, and the amount initiated by students and by staff.

These options for modifying your discussion forum are also available directly in the DISCUSSION FORUM environment. Access your newly created discussion forum and select the ‘Option’ icon at the top right of the screen. Note that there are a few additional features in the ‘View Options’ and that there is a ‘Delete Messages’ possibility under ‘Management Options’. The ‘Delete Messages’ option allows you to either delete all messages in the forum (useful for housekeeping after the semester) or from an indicated time period. However you can delete any message in the forum at any time by clicking on it and using the delete key from the keyboard.

A Tool for Student-Centred Learning

In our quest to develop independent critical thinking learners, we must reflect and plan our strategies for student-centred learning activities and work-group social interaction. Online communication tools, such as the IVLE Discussion Forum, are a novel feature in the array of teaching and learning strategies. The IVLE Discussion Forum(s) for your course can be designed to create an opportunity for students to express their opinions and knowledge, evaluate the position of others, debate issues and synthesise new perspectives. The bad news is that there are few good models to emulate. The good news is that times of uncertainty create opportunity, and that your experience in using discussion forums may become a valued standard.