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Recent educational theory talks about how students should construct their own knowledge though communication with a variety of resources including their peers and mentors. In fact, Moodle was developed on the back of this social constructivist theory, where understanding is aided by social interactions with others. Our experience with many clients throughout the implementation and rollout of a learning environment confirms that the need for person to person interaction is overwhelming … and that it works.
There are a number of activities in Moodle that enable discussion in both a synchronous or asynchronous manner. These are;
Forum
A classic tool for asynchronous discussions. Forum based activities can be set up as a whole course activity or for course groups. The course designer can specify settings for forum type, alerts, groups etc. Facilitators can chose from a range of options to manage and moderate discussions.
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Comment
While comments can be used for learners to flag up pertinent contributions to their peers, they can also be used to assess and extend these contributions too. Any rated comment can be put into the grade book and go towards final course grades. This functionality encourages collaboration and critical evaluation, skills essential in today’s “knowledge society”.
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Chat
A course based activity for when discussion needs the immediacy of a real-time exchange.
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