Online forums: Waiting for Godot or revolutionising learning

At Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology), it is compulsory for all courses to have a Moodle presence and staff are expected to use various tools to enhance student learning through reflection and interaction. \n \nThis paper explores my experiences with using different Moodle activities, including wikis, forums, chat and journals, and identifies the issues involved in trying to encourage online engagement in larger multicultural classes. I will show how a simple idea has evolved over the past three years and will describe some of the on-going frustrations I have found in the process. \n \nSpecifically, this paper compares forum use by students at level 5 and level 7. It also suggests how forums can be fun for both students and the tutor and identifies the pleasures and pitfalls especially when dealing with international students. \n \nThe presentation explains on my thoughts regarding the benefits to student and tutor of online posts, alternatives to forums, strategies for using forums and the complexities of encouraging and managing student posts. It is also an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others. \n \nThe success or failure of online forums depends on the way they are set up, the tutor involvement on the forum and the perceived value of the forum to the student. However, the results, both expected and surprising, make using forums an interesting and rewarding experience. \n