Moderator Guidelines

THE ROLE OF THE MODERATOR/FACILITATOR IN A COMPUTER-MEDIATED CONFERENCE/FORUM DISCUSSION
Developed by C. N. (Lani) Gunawardena and Connie Lowe
University of New Mexico, USA

Much of the success of an online discussion depends on how the moderators play their roles in planning and conducting the conference. Topics selected should genuinely allow for learners to profit by hearing each other's opinions and experiences. Formats should be selected to promote discussion in a comfortable, orderly fashion.

Once the conference begins, moderators have important parts to play
  • in helping to achieve the group's goals,
  • promoting learning, and
  • humanizing the learning environment.

A final duty of the moderator is to recognize when the conference's productive life is over; few topics can sustain participant interest for more than two to three weeks.
Choice of topic and format

A conference which has a stimulating topic and a format which is comfortable for participants is off to a good start. The choice of topic is critical: the topic should be one on which there is active debate in the literature, and on which varying opinions can be defended vigorously without anyone having to be right or wrong. The format should be structured enough to provide a framework for the discussion but not so rigid that its formality discourages participants or makes them uncomfortable. Popular formats include debate, case-study, and posting questions or statements for response.

Conducting the Online Conference

During the conference, moderators play diverse roles. Three important roles are:

humanize the online environment and create a sense of community,
achieve group goals, and
support learning.

1. To humanize the online environment and create a sense of community:
  • Be present online frequently
  • Remind participants to introduce/identify themselves
  • Encourage participation
  • Send encouraging private messages

2. To Achieve group goals:
  • Choose a communication model
  • Summarize or clarify frequently
  • "Weave" thoughts and comments
  • Express emerging consensus of the group
  • Maintain social equality of the group.

3. To support learning:
  • Encourage participants to generate ideas
  • Help participants to link ideas together
  • Help participants to see the structure of ideas
  • Summarize the ideas discussed.
There are two types of moderator summaries:
1. Summative synthesis
  • listing ideas which have been presented,
  • showing relationships between the ideas.

2. Query-posing synthesis

asking questions which will help the participants to discover relationships between ideas.

Finally, it is important for the moderator(s) to let their own personalities come through. Your way of moderating (or your group's way) will not be the same as everyone else's. Don't feel you have to follow a certain model if that's not the best way for YOU to guide a discussion.

The guidelines posted above were adapted from:

Gunawardena, C. N. (1998). Designing Collaborative Learning Environments Mediated by Computer Conferencing: Issues and Challenges in the Asian Socio-cultural Context. Indian Journal of Open Learning, 7(1), 105-124, and the UNM/COE Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology 535 -- Theory and Practice of Distance Education web page developed by Constance Lowe.


Good luck! Enjoy your moderating experience!
Last modified: Thursday, 26 June 2014, 8:18 PM