First--it is great to see the discussion already beginning over 2 weeks before the course is scheduled to begin. I hope this is a sign that we will have lively discussions.
Now--down to the business of telling my experiences, which is the goal of this first forum. Having each of us tell a little about our experiences will begin to establish the challenges before us.
1. Most of the Discussion Forums I've been involved with have received little use. Maybe a few posts at first, or sporadically if they are made available for a long period of time, but never a sustained discussion.
2. Most Discussion Forums I've seen don't appear to have a purpose. They are labeled "General Discussion" or something like that, or merely used for Q&A. And we all know what Q&A is like in a large classroom--a few vocal people speak up, but most don't want to admit they don't understand something.
3. Some Discussion Forums are made up of a few rather long-winded postings, as if people think they need to write essays, rather than participate in a shared discussion. Like at a cocktail party where someone dominates the conversation, people end up walking away and finding more congenial company.
4. Some instructors take too seriously their role as content expert, and provide elaborate answers to questions as if their tenure or reputation depended on it. They don't stimulate discussion. Instead, they stop it cold when the students become too intimidated to add anything.
5. Some participants jump to quickly to the summarizing step, restating what others have said in a more organized fashion (again, like an essay), rather than let a productive discussion continue to see what else emerges.
Ok, I'm reaching the limit and I'm sure about to be accused of long-windedness myself. Please share. Let's get out the dirty laundry for all to see. :-)
Oh, one more thing:
6. I've seen some heartfelt contributions to discussion forums, from people half-way across the world that I might never meet in person. They made me feel I had met a valued colleague nonetheless.