Overview of telecollaboration tools and affordances

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In TILA we have chosen to work with user-friendly and safe tools that allow pupils to engage in intercultural communication. On the one hand we propose asynchronous tools (discussion forum, wiki), on the other we propose synchronous tools (text chat, videocommunication, 3D virtual world). Almost all of them are accessible through our learning environment, the Moodle platform.

Each tool offers its own advantages and challenges. For a quick overview of the affordances of each tool, see below, or click in the alphabet above. For more specific information about each tool, please refer to the different submenus of the ‘Telecollaboration Tasks and Tools’ section on the website.



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F

Forum

A forum is basically a bulletin board, a means for asynchronous communication with a group of users.

Tools

  • Moodle Forum

Affordances

  • asynchronous written online discussion
  • messages are posted and archived
  • many users can react to a posts
  • attachments
  • insertion of pictures
  • insertion of links

Usefull for

  • Written communication on a certain topic that takes place over a period of time
  • Exchange information and opinions within a group
  • Ask questions and ask for help
  • Teacher networking: teachers can use a forum that is invisible to pupils to discuss problems and exchange ideas and experiences

Challenges

  • Delay in time => set deadlines to ensure smooth communication flow)
  • Requires specific tasks and instructions to ensure interaction (i.e. that students react to each others’ posts: appreciate what was said in a post, add own comment, and maybe ask a new question)

 

Demo video about forum in Moodle