Using Moodle forums to increase middle school student participation and level of detail in student responses

Online forums positively influence student participation and foster deeper observations about course content by enabling students to interact with peers to discover new perspectives (Kok, 2008; Lin, 2009). This study attempted to determine the effects Moodle forums have on student participation and level of detail when responding. Three different methodologies were used to triangulate data in this study. These methods included weekly scoring rubrics, a Likert survey, and an open-ended questionnaire. Results from this study suggested that Moodle forums were a tool that may have helped students increase their participation and improve their level of detail in responses. Students indicated they enjoyed the interactive nature of Moodle forums. In addition, students believed the ability to view peer and teacher posts allowed more time for reflection and encouraged additional ideas for responding.