PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE FORUMS: Some Insights of Malaysian Distance Learners

The use of technology is particularly significant in today’s distance learning scenario. It has maximized the opportunities for interaction between discussion groups separated by time and space. This article reports the responses to a survey carried out with distance learners at a selected institution of higher learning. The learners responded to a questionnaire on their participation in online forums. It also looks at the postings or entries in the learner management system by these learners for the completion of a course. The findings suggest that both learners and instructors need to play their respective roles effectively in the cyber space to promote online interaction which is crucial to the learning.