Asynchronous Discussion Forum: A Reflective E-learning Platform During COVID-19

The purpose of introducing discussion forum to the student teachers of an English language course was to offer more practice in reading and writing skills. The current study is a reflective account of researcher’s experience teaching an online course during COVID-19 times and incorporating discussion forum for optimum student engagement and enrichment. It aimed at encouraging students to apply a variety of reading and writing strategies to achieve the learning outcomes of the course. This activity was asynchronous, so the students could respond at their convenience and spend as much time on readings as they needed. Eighty-one students of Year 1 participated and wrote their responses online to prompts from a selection of three independent readings using the learning management system (Blackboard). A descriptive analysis of responses was conducted based on five criteria: structure and format; accuracy in comprehension; relevance to the prompt; critical reading; and correct use of language. Researcher’s own reflections were supplemented with students’ feedback and overall performance in the course. Three themes emerge which are centered around students’ participation, performance and progress. Even without formal assessment, almost all the students participated. With clearly-planned and relevant reading selections, the performance mostly met the criteria for structure, comprehension and making relevant connections. However, the student engagement has the scope to be extended to cognitive engagement for higher-order reflective thinking and better language skills. Over two-third of the participants made progress and remained good, though it was not a predictor of their final grade. The study recommends exploring the multi-dimensional possibilities of more collaborative and sustainable learning as asynchronous discussion forum promises to contribute significantly in the pursuit of academic excellence in English language teacher education.