Ruday
(2011) discussed many great opportunities that online discussion forums
provided, such as increased student ownership of ideas and additional time for
processing thoughts and writing responses. Not only do online discussion boards
provide these benefits, but they can also have significant affects upon the ESL
population. This is important because
Irving ISD has a high population of ESL students, so their response to new
strategies needs to be investigated and considered. One strategy that is emphasized to assist
English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom is to provide wait time. This is time that the teacher gives for the
students to respond. For ELLs this time
is extended so they can process the question or statement and then respond
appropriately. Online discussion boards
provide this necessary wait time. It
allows the ELLs to read the comments, process the information, and then form a
response on an individual basis. Using
this online discussion forum also eliminates the pressure that many ELLs can
perceive during classroom discussions. Without
the pressure, the discussions and response have a greater educational impact
upon the student. On the other hand,
online discussions minimize the verbal communication for ELLs. English language learners many not have the
opportunity to practice English at home, especially academic English. Since online discussion boards do not foster oral
communication, this is a missed opportunity for ELLs. All of the opportunities and challenges of
ELLs using online discussion boards need to be considered in a district with a
large population.
Students
would benefit from the online discussion board through the anonymity it
provides. Ruday (2011) highlighted the
fact that some students prefer to participate when not in front of the entire
class. The online aspect provides a more
comfortable and sometimes liberating environment, where many students feel more
open to make comments, state their opinion, or ask questions. Another benefit for the students in an online
discussion is that multiple perspectives can easily be shared. In a math online discussion board a student
could ask a question about a problem and many students can respond with their personal
response. These responses incorporate
appropriate vocabulary and terminology because they were provided by peers, and
there are many explanations the student can read and use which ever makes the
most sense. Interactive whiteboard
discussion forums would be the most beneficial in a math classroom because
problems and solutions can easily be expressed.
Mathematical problems are difficult to solve by just using a keyboard. The whiteboard allows symbols to be easily
made and notes incorporated in a more non-linear fashion.
The
implications for our use in the online hybrid class are similar to those of the
students we teach. The discussion board
on Blackboard provides the opportunity to synthesize everyone’s comments and create
my own. In addition, many new ideas are easily
shared with enlightening perspectives.
One major difference between using discussion boards at a university
level versus high school or middle school is the preparation that is required
for younger students. Ruday mentioned
how communication skills needed to be emphasized and reviewed because certain
pieces would be undetectable in the comments, such as tone of voice or body
language (2011). Using an online forum
eliminates these features and can make it difficult to translate the meaning of
the statement. Younger students need to
be taught how to write comments that minimize miscommunications.
Online
discussion boards can draw more students into the learning process for multiple
reasons, but they also have disadvantages to consider. It is important to relate these forums to a
specific grade or subject, and identify how its use can benefit those students
and then employ it strategically.
Reference
Ruday, S. (2011). Expanding the possibilities
of discussion: A strategic approach to using online discussion boards in the
middle and high school English classroom.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and teacher Education, 11(4).
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