Electronic Communities in Writing Instruction:
A Beginners Guide

Intro

Teachers

Students

History

Texts

Building Community: Instructor Roles and Student Autonomy

One of the advantages of an electronic forum is that it enables greater student participation and discussion. This means that on a listserv or bulletin board, the ultimate success of the conversation depends on the students as much as on the teacher. It redefines the teacher's role as being more of a guide (offering suggestions, pointing out possibilities, asking questions) than someone who simply tells students "the right answer."
Likewise, it redefines students' roles as active learners, and puts them in a position where they will need to excerise more of their own initiative.

On the other hand, the fact that electronic forums are participatory by nature doesn't mean that the teacher ceases to exist, or ceases to be a teacher. The students know that they are still in a class, and will still (in most cases) receive grades for their work. Try as you will, these issues and concerns remain. Fortunately, some strategic structuring can help to both lessen student anxiety about what they are "supposed to do" and encourage them to be active participants in the conversation.

Structure

Feedback for Your Course

Types of Forums (Listservs or Web Bulletin Boards?)