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Full Project – Design an automated web based discussion support forum for computer science and computer engineering students

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Online forums can be used for many purposes, such as helping students to review material prior to an assignment or exam, engaging students in discussion of course material before coming to class, and reflecting on material that they have read or worked with outside of class. The emergence of online forums has become hugely popular in recent times with interactions based on similar discussions, posts and threads. Online forums have become powerful tools for sharing information. Online discussion forums have also become one of the most popular places to ask and answer questions (Falls, 2012).

Every age it has passed through has been based on beliefs and new technologies, responding to the needs of individuals anxious to adjust to new forms of socialization. A time of great change is a period in which society looks for meaning. Information is already a tool, the principal tool, which people use to perceive and understand their environment (Idakwo, 2011). Online Forums, compared to the other social media sites, have various unique features like threads; where discussions and posts are made, RSS feeds, polls, etc. Online Forums, provide a unique type of social environment that enables people to share and access information freely. Users can either start new topics or leave comments in the threads of existing topics (Xiaolin, et al., 2009).

Online forums provides a unique type of social environment that enables people to share and access information freely. Users can either start new topics or leave comments in the threads of existing topics. Usually, an online forum has tens or hundreds of distinct boards or communities. These boards or communities group hundreds to thousands of threads of similar related topics together. Because of the huge numbers of users and the high dynamics of online forums, this type of environment has a rich complexity (Vicenç, et al., 2008).

An Online forum is also a system designed for the discussion of topics, with each topic separated into its own area, called a thread. A thread is begun by a user writing a short document, called a post, which introduces the topic or asks a question about the topic. Internet users search online forums, generally, for two types of information. Some of them search the forums for subjective information such as different viewpoints, opinions, emotions, evaluations, etc., on specific problems instead of a single correct answer (Prakhar, et al., 2012).

Online discussion forums are a form of web-based asynchronous communication which allows the students to electronically post messages in a common line area for participants to read and respond (Huang, 2010). Online discussion forums have become a central element within every online learning management system allowing for the extension of teaching beyond the traditional face-to-face classroom. Through online discussion forums, students have the opportunity to interact, construct hypotheses, view knowledge and information from multiple perspectives, and reflect upon this information.

Palloff and Pratt (2019) suggest that it is through the various interactions accommodated through online discussion forums that a constructivist approach is facilitated leading to the successful learning within the individual. As a result, online discussion forums represent a unique opportunity for teaching in a new way capable of stimulating an individualized form of learning at the higher levels of the cognitive domain. However, with the rise in popularity and use of such a powerful pedagogical instrument comes the challenge of its effective use to provide a substitute for interactive dimensions found within the traditional face-to-face classroom. Levine (2017) suggested that while each learning environment has its own advantages in the use of dialogue, it is the pedagogy and not the technology which is vital to student success within a classroom.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, was established on 12 November 2002 at the Ethiope West Local Government Area. The Otefe-Oghara polytechnic has schools that offer National Diplomas in Business Studies (Accountancy, Banking and Finance and Business Administration, Office Technology and management and Mass Communication), Applied Sciences and Technology (Computer Science, Science laboratory technology and Statistics), and Engineering (Computer Engineering, Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Welding and fabrication). It also has a School of Preliminary Studies that introduces all students to Business Studies and Science Technology (Wikipedia.org).

Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara is a manifestation of an excellently conceptualized and articulated vision delivered for the benefit of humanity for entrepreneurial acquisition and advancement. The motto of technology for entrepreneurship underscores the fact of talent and technology skills advancement as tool for critical wealth creation. It therefore explains the role of entrepreneurial and technological skills in creating the abilities, courage, capabilities and managerial competences necessary for economic growth and wealth creation within and beyond Delta State.

Online discussion forums are a form of web-based asynchronous communication which allows students to electronically post reflective messages in a common line area and allows for other participants within the group discussion to read and respond to. The written communications within asynchronous communications are grouped in threads allowing learners to track the sequence of messages exchanged within several discussions held in parallel (Klobas & Renzin, 2010).

An individual discussion thread may be defined as a series of messages posted within a discussion forum in response to one another. The posted messages are displayed as a thread, or sequentially, to illustrate the progression of the discussion. The uniform integration of a web interface which supports threaded online discussion forums into learning management systems has allowed for the extension of teaching beyond the traditional face-to-face classroom (Levine, 2017).

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Students’ discussion forums have been demonstrated to be an effective and powerful educational tool for the support and construction of knowledge and meaningful learning. Often times, students who share similar courses in an institution of learning often want to share ideas and gain familiarity with the courses, lecturers and share ideas on how to go about various tasks, giving regards to the particular course. This is a case of the students in Computer Science and Computer Engineering students in the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara because the students in both departments take course that are similar to each other and hence a close relationship between the students will improve the learning outcome. However, distance, time and course lecture time interaction with face-face offline discussion forum among students serve as stumbling block to the success and achievement of the goals of the discussion. Thus we propose an online based discussion forum in this study.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to develop and implement a web based discussion support forum for students in the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe.

The objectives of the study includes:

To develop a web/online platform where students can share different questions or views on various topics and majorly make information about any institution accessible.
Implementing the system by creating a user-friendly platform that will be easier for these students to interact with each other and ask questions using threads and topics.

To provide a system of written reflection submitted to threaded online discussion forum with small group discussion.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study has its relevance in solving real life problems affecting students today like indecisions about student’s course of study, career choices and misinformation about that institution. The application will also be flexible to provide different categories where users can have specific choices to select from. Information is the bane of decision-making for students and present time web applications cannot live up to providing real time information that can be accessed from anywhere by the end user. It is important to put interest into the development and usage of online forums in solving these problems.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In this study, the system is intended in implementing an online discussion forum for students in the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering Departments of the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara rather than addressing a greater audience, in other student forums.

1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The basic limitation of this project is that the right set of the polytechnic students with the right information and answers to any question may not be available to make this project a success.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

FORUM: a meeting at which a subject can be discussed Forums were held to determine how to handle the situation.

WEB BASED: A web-based application is any program that is accessed over a network connection using HTTP, rather than existing within a device’s memory.

WEBSITE: A website is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server.

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: Prospective students are students who might attend a school in the future.

STUDENT: Is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution.

PERFORMANCE: To perform is to take a complex series of actions that integrate skills and knowledge to produce a valuable result.

DIRECT MESSAGE: A direct message (DM) is a private message sent through a social platform. By default, DMs from non-followers are blocked or filtered into a secondary inbox.

SOCIAL MEDIA: A social media dashboard is a tool that allows marketers and social media managers to manage all of their social platforms from one screen.

DASHBOARD: A dashboard allows its users to schedule, post, view, and respond to both organic and paid social posts, and to create analytics reports.

LURKING: Lurking is a slang term for when an individual reads a message board without posting or engaging with the community. Lurking is sometimes encouraged by forum moderators as a way for new members to get a sense of the community and etiquette before participating.

STICKY TOPICS: These are topics that stay at the top of the forum they are posted in and do not get bumped down as new topics are posted.

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