Virtual spaces

Delineating the private and public spaces in online discussions

Abstract

This paper outlines an effective and pedagogically sound approach to designing the virtual space of an assessable online discussion forum. Through an innovative use of Blackboard’s ‘Journal’ tool I outline how to design a two-phased time-driven virtual forum to scaffold students’ learning and to enhance their learning experience. There are pedagogically sound reasons for such an instructional design. In the first private phase, students are provided privacy and freedom to reflect upon, draft and post their own work. This phase potentially assures students that their peers cannot see their work and consequently are not in a position to ‘plagiarise’ their creative thoughts and ideas. The second public space enables students to read and learn from each others’ postings and to participate in further discussions and collaborations. Implicit in this assessment design is the need for the online instructor to intervene twice during the discussion to reset the forum’s system switches.