[Yr7-10it] RE: online learning....

[Tony Forster]

Kent wrote

"often when we students discuss a particular question in our 'discussion 
forum' we have been know to be told to stop it as it is seen by the uni as 
'undue assistance'. "

I am an energy management consultant, unpaid game making enthusiast and 
sessional lecturer in the RMIT Masters of Sustainable Energy. Kent's comment 
on the discussion forum really dismays me. Last year I encouraged the 
students to use the RMIT online Blackboard discussion forum. This year I 
included contributions to the forum in the assessment, something like 15% of 
the subject's marks.

I told them that they would not be penalised for asking for help, no matter 
how stupid, and that quality contributions on the forum would count towards 
the assessment. Nothing was off limits, assignments etc..

I have absolutely no regrets. The level of peer tutoring was great, I 
learned a lot from the discussions and I am sure the students did too. Some 
might say that assessment through the assignments was compromised by 
students getting "undue assistance". I would compromise assessment every 
time in preference to compromising learning. The assessment still worked, 
the better students produced the better assignments, made the most and best 
contributions to the discussion forum and the best contributions during 
class.

So I am really astounded and dismayed that any uni would try to limit 
discussion forums.

Tony