Expert Forums
Traditional classroom interaction is limited by the training and
expertise of the instructor. No matter how well trained an
instructor might be, inquisitive students will always want to
know more about a specific, often technical, topic than the
instructor can provide. Enter the Internet and the "expert forum."
The "expert forum" allows a student to communicate either through
"real time" chat or more often electronic mail with experts on
given topics. These experts respond to student questions and
comments and often post the best questions (and answers) to a
webpage. This doubly benefits students, first, by receiving
direct answers to their questions and, second, by "listening in"
on the questions and answers of others. In the best case, such
communication can begin dialogue between students as well.
The electronic mail "expert forum" is especially easy to create
and maintain. All that is needed is a single email account for
a class and an expert with email access. Experts are not hard
to find. Many scholars, business persons, and community leaders
are happy to participate. Actually, experts are easy to find
in educational circles. Teachers from other schools or from
higher grades make excellent experts. Spouses of teachers who
have expert skills are easily conscripted as experts.
Visit the sites below and notice the different strategies of
communicating with experts.
Examples:
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