Forum Discussions
Forum discussions are powerful tools that allow students to construct historical knowledge online. At the heart of constructivist history education is student interpretation of primary sources. I use forum discussions to facilitate student learning in my history classes. I began using these discussions in AP European History classes, and have since used them in AP and onlevel World History ckasses.
The discussion excerpt to the left shows how students, in this case two eleventh graders, can help each other to construct knowledge. At the beginning of a unit about World Religions, I provided students with links to resources about Buddhism. Students browsed the resources, generated initial ideas based on the resources, and discussed in a forum. The example at left shows how a simple question from one student can prompt a student to refine their ideas.