A Forum is a virtual news or discussion area in which users can exchange their thoughts, opinions or experiences. Users can post and access questions and answers asynchronously. Forums organize discussions by topics, on which posts are made. It serves as a tool for enhancing communication and support in higher education.
Functions
- Both teachers and students can create new discussion threads and publish posts.
- New and unread posts are highlighted in the overview for easy tracking of communication.
- Assignments, multimedia resources (e.g., videos, audios), and netiquette guidelines can be displayed prominently above the topic overview via "Customize Page" ("Threads" tab).
- It is possible to save contributions to a topic as a draft, with the option of editing and publishing them at a later stage.
- Forums can have appointed moderators who maintain order and enforce discussion rules by reviewing and editing posts, managing topics, and ensuring adherence to community guidelines.
- When enabled, the Forum allows for anonymous posting through the use of pseudonyms.
- Users can activate email notifications through the Forum's Actions menu (yellow bell icon) to stay informed about new posts.
- Users can search forum posts by keyword using the "Search" input field.
- Ratings enable users to prioritize helpful content and important questions within the forum.
- Top topics are visually prioritized by appearing first in the thread list and being highlighted in color.
Use Cases
- It facilitates open dialogue by providing a platform for asking questions and resolving course-related issues.
- Teachers and students can exchangeexperiences and share best practices.
- The Forum serves as a platform for disseminating information (e.g., FAQ, "notice board").
- Forums facilitate the organization and communication of group work.
- Instructors can use the Forum as a means of gathering questions, which they can then address for the benefit of all students.
Example
Beispiel für ein Forum
Articles: 18
Latest Article: Frage: Wenn ChatGPT als Hilfsmittel e... from stefanie.gerl_StudOn-Support, 22. Feb 2023, 15:12
Latest Article: Frage: Wenn ChatGPT als Hilfsmittel e... from stefanie.gerl_StudOn-Support, 22. Feb 2023, 15:12
Articles: 2
Latest Article: Liebe Kursteilnehmerinnen und Kurstei... from studon.dozentin, 5. Feb 2024, 20:15
Latest Article: Liebe Kursteilnehmerinnen und Kurstei... from studon.dozentin, 5. Feb 2024, 20:15
Instructions
- To create a Forum, navigate to the "Add New Item" section of the drop-down menu and select the item "Forum".
- Subsequently, a new page opens. Select "Option 1: New Forum" and provide it with a title and, if desired, an accompanying description. To proceed, click on the button labeled "Add Forum".
- Enter a title or keyword under "Thread" and write your post in the "Posting" field. If you'd like to be notified when someone replies to your post, select the "Notification" box.
- Click "Create" to publish your post immediately or click "Save as Draft" to save it for later editing.
- Use the "Settings" tab to define the functions for Forum participants and moderators.
- It is possible to appoint additional moderators via the "Moderators" tab.
- To create a new thread, click the "New Thread" button in the "Threads"tab.
Reply to a thread
- To read a topic, click its title in the first column of the Forum thread list.
- Click "Reply" to respond to a thread.
- The "Reply" drop-down menu allows users to manage their posts, including editing, printing, deleting, and marking as unread. Moderators can also use this menu to edit, delete, and censor posts.
Scenarios of the FAU teaching practice