Introduction

Shaffer & Anundsen (1993) talk about the eternal human yearning for kinship, community, and connection to a greater purpose, which has taken on a very different dimension in the age of Internet. Today, communities are formed around issues of identity and shared values (Pallof & Pratt, 1999), rather than spatial considerations (Pallof & Pratt, 1996). A community may be defined as a dynamic group of people who see themselves as part of a bigger whole with some shared purpose, exchange ideas, take some shared and joint decisions and, for the purpose of the shared goals, are interdependent. With the advent of electronic communication and cyberspace, the use of online communication tools in higher edu-cation is increasing rapidly (Funaro, 1999) such that this feeling of ‘community’ is being realised in a specific manner particularly in the field of distance education. Based on my experience of creating university modules and online distance learning courses, this paper looks at how the use of electronic bulletin boards is redefining the way learners commu-nicate and take the stewardship of the learning environment.

Computer-mediation in Community Building

Building of learner communities in cyberspace is usually driven by the requirements of the learning pro-gramme. The success of any online learning environment depends not only on the provision of two-way communication between teacher and the learners (The California Distance Learning Project website, 1997), but also the interaction among students themselves, as such collaboration develops a sense of belonging to the common cause of knowledge enhancement (Palloff & Pratt, 1999: 5). In a typical learning environment, the students are expected to explore the content collaboratively and interact among themselves. But due to the absence of face-to-face interaction in distance learning, a computer-mediated vehicle for online discussion becomes a necessary backbone of the learning package. The advantages of an online electronic discussion via a bulletin board over a face-to-face session are many:

• Shy students, who are reluctant to engage in face-to-face discussions, can participate without feeling dominated by the more vocal members of the learning community.
  
• The asynchronous nature of a bulletin board discussion allows reflection and more in-depth reaction to an issue than impromptu responses in a classroom situation.
  
• The not-so-initiated can delay their responses, unlike face-to-face classroom situations that demand instantaneous responses from the learners and may alienate shy students.

Uses of Online Bulletin Boards

Whether for an online or a regular campus-based course, I think that electronic bulletin boards can enhance the learning experience and com-plement the other educational activities within the course. I have been using bulletin boards, employing both free services (Voyforum.com, and Network54.com) as well as the Nanyang Technological Uni-versity’s subscribed forum (Blackboard.Inc.) for sometime in the following manner:

1. Summaries of readings: Students need to post their reading summaries on a weekly basis. Summaries are not graded. But since these are posted publicly, students are more prompt and responsible. It also allows students to learn from others’ work.
   
2. Student-led discussions: Students are asked to post and lead discussion topics. This extends communication time, is learner-oriented, teaches students how to pose good questions, and sets them thinking.
   
3. Peer learning: As the students’ own space, the bulletin board encourages student exchanges. It helps them to handle difficult topics and negotiate difficult concepts, thus facilitating a kind of collaborative learning not possible in a regular classroom situation.
   
4. Communication anytime, any-where: As an asynchronous discussion platform, the bulletin board allows students to post prepared responses, as opposed to ‘on the fly’ responses in class. This is pedagogically sounder and has greater impact on the learning process.
   
5. Allows the instructor to see the student weaknesses like never before: By monitoring bulletin board discussions, instructors can catch misconceptions and gauge students’ level of understanding on a particular topic. (see Fig. 1 )
   
6. Generates tutorial topics: Tutorial topics are decided based on the ongoing discussions, thereby facilitating student-centred learning. (see Fig. 2 )

Making Effective Bulletin Board Discussions

At present, the concept of cyber-communities and online learning is still catching on. However, novelty wears off fast—it is easy to lose contact in an online, distance-learning environment unless interest levels are maintained. To sustain the effectiveness of electronic bulletin boards and build learning cyber-communities, I have tried the following:

1. The bulletin board activities are fully integrated within the course, although additional spaces are created as and when it is necessary.
   
2. Students are assigned specific tasks and schedules.
   
3. Forum topics are related to specific lecture and lab assignments.
   
4. Regular references are made to bulletin board discussions during lectures. This persuades even the most reluctant student to participate in the online learning activities.
   
5. If students are lost during posting of discussion topics, help is provided. Regular checks are also made to monitor the lines of discussion and bring wayward discussions back on track.
   
6. Regularity is essential for the sustenance of the environment. Consequently, bulletin board activities need to be kept ongoing.
   
7. Take it seriously. Students will then show interest too.

In my experience, once students are initiated to such an environment, they make very good use of this platform. But to keep a bulletin board in its most effective dynamic state, it must be stressed that the instructor has to provide many hours of regular online support. This can escalate the workload, which cannot be reflected under most systems of staff appraisal.

Conclusion

As social communication is essential for learning, electronic bulletin boards provide an excellent platform for the creation of learning communities for students of both on-campus and distance-learning courses. An online community cannot be created or sustained by one person. But once the instructor initiates it, careful planning and regular maintenance can extend and enhance the learning environment. In my view, electronic bulletin boards far outshine the capabilities of face-to-face discussion sessions, which may be limited by predetermined personal characteristics or even by spatial and temporal constraints. Being almost free from personal bias, and also being available anytime, anywhere, seem to be big points in favour of this computer-mediated community development.

Bibliography

California Distance Learning Project. ‘What is Distance Education?’. 1997. http://www.otan.dni.us/cdlp/distance/whatis.html. (30 June 2000).

Funaro, G.M. ‘Pedagogical Roles and Implementation Guidelines for Online Communication Tools’. ALN Magazine. Vol. 3, Issue 2, December 1999. http://www.aln.org/alnweb/magazine/Vol3_issue2/funaro.htm. (30 June 2000).

Pallof, R. & Pratt, K. ‘Playing in the Cyberspace Sandbox: The Intersection of the Human and the Electronic Communities’. Paper presented virtually at the Cybermind Conference, Perth, Australia, November 1996. http://www.curtin.edu.au/conference/cybermind/papers/index. html. (30 June 2000).

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.

Shaffer, C. & Anundsen, K. Creating Community Anywhere. New York: Perigree Books, 1993.