Fostering Students Participation In Online Environments: Focus On Interaction, Communication And Problem Solving

Abstract

Rapid technological advances in the areas of telecommunications, computer technology and the Internet have made available to tutors and learners in the domain of online learning, a broad array of tools that provide the possibility to facilitate and enhance learning to higher levels of critical reflective thinking. Computer mediated communication tools such as email, threaded discussion lists, chat rooms, voice over IP, and whiteboards, can enhance online interaction and the development of critical thinking skills, giving learners a real chance to make their learning experience as close to a face-to-face situation. For this to happen, instructors have to adopt teaching strategies that create a successful student-centred learning environment in which students feel motivated and comfortable to participate and construct knowledge and meaning. This paper discusses the learning opportunities the online environment provides and the pedagogical changes that entails for quality learning, and focuses on instructional practices that fostering students’ participation through appropriately designed interaction, effective communication and problem solving activities.