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Online study is different from learning by attending
lectures and tutorials.� For a start, there may be no lectures and
tutorials so you need to discover alternatives to these using the
online approach.� If there are no on-campus activities such as lectures
and tutorials, you will find the alternative to these in the course
readings.� They may be in print, such as in a textbook or collection
of readings, or on WebCT or the Internet.� By keeping up with the
weekly reading you keep up with the course content.� The alternative
to tutorials or seminars are the online discussions.� Use the online
discussions to keep in contact with what the tutor and the other
students are thinking and doing, and to contribute your own ideas
to the discussion.� The online discussions are an important element
in how you will learn from this course.� You need to log into and
contribute to the discussion at least twice a week (preferably more
often) to gain the maximum benefit from this form of study.� Your
contribution to the discussion does not need to be a long, carefully-written,
piece of work.� Often a brief comment or observation on the topic
will keep the discussion lively and stimulating.
Online discussions will help you to develop your
understanding by thinking about the topic, by expressing your ideas
about it, and by taking account of other students' ideas. Sharing
knowledge and ideas through discussion is a natural way for people
to learn. An online discussion works the same way. The difference
is that it is in writing, which gives people time to respond, and
encourages them to think about what they have to say. Online discussions
are a valuable way to learn because they encourage thoughtful reflection.
In this course, online discussions are an important part of the
learning process.
Sending a message to an online discussion is
called making a posting. Generally, there are four kinds of postings
that you will make at different times. These are (1) introductory,
(2) information sharing, (3) topic analysis, and (4) question or
comment (questions and responses to other people's postings). The
desirable characteristics of the different postings are as follows:
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Introductory - in online discussions
you will be asked to introduce yourself as you may be asked
in a tutorial. The online introduction is even more important
because it is a particular kind of social situation. The written
introduction gives you practice and gets you started using the
online medium.
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Information sharing - on many occasions
you will be asked to share information online. This may be a
result of something the tutor has asked for, or you may wish
to share some of your own information on the topic. This may
come from reading or other research you have done, or from your
existing knowledge or experience. Information sharing helps
you to get started with online discussions and it helps the
tutor and the other participants also.
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Topic analysis - this is probably
the most important type of posting to the discussion. Here are
a few pointers for doing it well:
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respond to other people in the discussion
as well as the tutor
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it should be at least 200 words in length
(however sometimes a short question or observation can be
a very good posting because it helps to develop the discussion
in a new way).
-
make a statement that develops the discussion
with your own ideas. If other students have outlined the
main issues on the topic, acknowledge this and try to develop
these ideas further.
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Respect your own ideas and opinions and
don't be afraid to express them (so long as they are relevant
to the discussion topic)
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The best posting of all is one that is
substantial, which demonstrates that you have done the reading,
and which reveals your command of the topic by the way in
which you have related it to your own ideas, knowledge and
experience.
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Follow the discussion regularly to develop
your awareness of the way the discussion is evolving.
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Post to the discussion regularly to maintain
your own interest and involvement.
- Question or comment - these are postings
which form a discussion by posing questions or commenting constructively
on other people's postings. These are the kinds of postings that
actually make it a discussion rather than a collection
of monologues, and should follow all the rules of netiquette.
It is as important for you to try to make interrogatory postings
as it is to post a substantial topic analysis.
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