Abstract: Online discussion forums are an excellent environment for peer and collaborative learning. Online discussion forums may be used to support out-of-class interaction in traditional on-campus education, or become the virtual classroom in a subject (or course) that is taught entirely online. However, one of the problems often encountered with online discussion forums is that they can suffer from a lack of student participation. This paper provides instructors with a number of guidelines for encouraging student participation in online discussion forums.

Keywords: Online education, Online discussion, Discussion forums, Peer learning

Download this article: JISE - Volume 15 Number 4, Page 345.pdf

Recommended Citation: Lam, W. (2004). Teaching Tip: Encouraging Online Participation. Journal of Information Systems Education, 15(4), 345-348.