Facilitating discussion forums in online language learning
Description
Helping learners to develop autonomous learning habits is one of the responsibilities of being an online facilitator. In spite of this, your facilitator presence needs to be maintained throughout an online course or activity – learners embrace independent learning in different ways and at different times. Your facilitation may become more subtle as the course progresses; however, learners will always look to you for instruction, guidance, and confirmation that they are progressing in positive ways. Learners will expect ongoing support and feedback on language use that other learners cannot provide them with. Try not to forget, as well, you are an active member of the community and will need to maintain consistent presence, just as any participating member does.
Keeping a balanced but strong facilitator presence will help your learners stay engaged in the online space. Your facilitator presence is part of a larger teaching presence among the relationships described in the Community of Inquiry framework. Your teaching presence helps learners establish their own social presence and cognitive presence, helping to develop community in an online setting. Among these three presences, your teaching presence is the presence that you as a course facilitator have the most control over.
This resources is a description of ways to help you facilitate discussion forums effectively for online language learning. It includes information about facilitator presence in a discussion forum.