Online Discussion Forums
In your post-secondary learning and work as a professional, you will likely have opportunities to engage in online discussion forums. Online forums are virtual spaces where people can come together to discuss various topics and share information. In Module 3, you learned about how to participate in course discussion forums through your institution’s LMS. There are also many other discussion forums outside your LMS that can help you connect with others who have similar interests or concerns (e.g., Reddit, Quora, Hive,). You can also search for forums related to your hobbies or professional interests using a search engine like Google or within social media platforms (e.g., Facebook or LinkedIn). Just be sure to read the forum rules and guidelines before participating to ensure a positive and productive experience for everyone involved.
Here are some tips for participating in online discussion forums (Kwantlen Polytechnic University Learning Centres et al., 2018):
- Develop a clear understanding of the expectations and ground rules for the forum (e.g., what to post and how to respond to others’ posts).
- Make connections between your forum posts and your post-secondary and professional learning. A forum post is often an excellent place to engage in critical reflection with forum members.
- Set a regular schedule for posting and commenting on forums. This prevents the amount of content from becoming overwhelming and allows you to develop stronger relationships with forum members.
- Include resources that might be useful to forum members in your posts.
- Use language that is appropriate for an academic or professional environment. Avoid writing in a way that is too informal (i.e., writing that resembles a text message).
- Make sure that each post is clearly written and well structured. Take time to clarify the message you want to communicate in your post and organize your content into clear and concise paragraphs to enhance readability.
- Respond to others’ posts in a supportive and challenging way. In writing, messages may be unintentionally misinterpreted. Be sure that your responses to others are respectful and positive in tone. Do not appear angry, even when you wish to disagree or present an alternative viewpoint.
- Participate in the online community discussion. Read others’ comments before posting and connect your ideas with what other forum members are saying.
Quora
Hive
Discord
Discourse
Vanilla Forums
Explore many other online discussion forums curated by FeedSpot.
Thinking about participating in online discussion forums…
- Have you ever participated in an online discussion forum?
- What online discussion forums might support you as a post-secondary learner or professional?
- Who or what can support your participation in online discussion forums?
Mass Media Communications
As a post-secondary learner or a professional, you may have opportunities to connect with a wide audience through mass media communication. Mass media communication refers to using various channels to disseminate information to a large audience (e.g., television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the internet) to raise awareness about ideas, products, services, and more. In the past, mass media communications were primarily driven by organizations. However, advancements in digital technology have made it easier for individuals to get involved in mass media communication and share their stories with the world.
Digital tools that support mass media communication include email marketing software, social media apps, and content creation platforms. For example, social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn have given individuals online platforms to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions with a global audience through text, images, audio, and video. Podcasting has allowed individuals to create their own audio shows and distribute them online, giving them a voice in the world of radio broadcasting. The availability of affordable video editing software and platforms like YouTube has enabled aspiring vloggers and filmmakers to create and distribute their own videos online, giving them the opportunity to reach a wider audience than ever before. In short, digital technology has enabled a more diverse media landscape with a wide variety of voices and perspectives (Volle, 2023).
You can read more about the history of mass media communication from the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when engaging in mass media communication:
Understanding your target audience's needs and interests is critical to creating content that resonates with them.
Image 5.12
Source: iStock
Description: A person with light skin standing behind a clear dry-erase board. Shown on the board are generic gendered people icons for business men and women. The person is circling a group of the icons.
Rather than bombarding your audience with a high volume of content, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that encourages engagement.
Image 5.13
Source: iStock
Description: The words “quantity” and “quality” are shown as if on a chalkboard with a square box to the right of each word. A light-skinned hand is shown using chalk to draw a checkmark in the box after “quality”.
Visuals are powerful for capturing attention and conveying information quickly and effectively.
Image 5.14
Source: Monday.com
Description: A light-skinned hand is holding a smartphone which is showing a matrix of rectangles that appears to be displaying videos and/or pictures. In the background is the same kind of matrix with more rectangles shown.
Consistency is key to building trust and maintaining engagement with your audience.
Image 5.15
Source: Monday.com
Description: A person with medium-light skin using a smartphone and a laptop. On the laptop screen appears to be Facebook or a similar social media service. On the smartphone different status icons are shown as if emerging from the screen: 25 hearts, 5 speech bubbles, 18 person icons.
Share your voice and unique perspectives, but be careful not to spread misinformation, disinformation, or mal-information. (see Module 3: Spotlight on Fake News)
Image 5.16
Source: Monday.com
Description: A medium-skinned hand holding to wood cubes up off a service slightly and shown as if rotating them. There are two other wood cubes on the surface. The wood cubes are letters shown on the visible sides. Taken together, two words are shown in the image: fact and fake.
Be aware of and transparent about the biases you bring to the mass media content you create.
Image 5.17
Source: Monday.com
Description: A pair of eyeglasses on a surface. Behind on the lenses are small cubes with letters that spell the word “bias”.
There are several mass media communication tools you may use as a post-secondary learner, professional, or individual
X (formerly Twitter)
YouTube
TikTok
Discord
Mailchimp
Brevo
Thinking about mass media communication…
- Have you ever initiated or received mass media communication?
- When might you use mass media communication as a post-secondary learner or professional?
- Who or what can support you in using mass media communication?
Digital Proofreading Tools
Digital proofreading tools have become essential for post-secondary learners and professionals.
Whether using digital technology to communicate with an individual, a small group, or a large audience, you will want to ensure that your writing is clear and polished to effectively convey your message. Digital proofreading tools help you correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors and make your writing more clear, concise, and engaging. Many of these tools have free or low-cost options, and some tools may be free or discounted through your post-secondary institution. Digital proofreading tools can often be integrated into text-based desktop and mobile apps to facilitate editing (e.g., Gmail, Microsoft Word). Also, several digital proofreading tools now offer AI writing assistance to accelerate and enhance your writing.
Grammarly
Microsoft Editor
Pro Writing Aid
Slick Write
Hemmingway App
Ginger
Try It!
Copy and paste something you have written into a few of the proofreading tools above to see how they work! Consider how each tool can support you as a post-secondary learner or professional.
Digital Surveys and Polls
In the post-secondary or workplace context, you may need to conduct digital surveys and polls to gather information and insights from your target audience. A survey is a research method used to gather data from a sample of people. It involves asking questions to collect information about opinions, attitudes, preferences, and behaviours. A poll is a type of survey that focuses on measuring audience perceptions, public opinion, or voting intentions on a specific issue or election. Both surveys and polls ask questions to gather data in order to provide insights into people's views and behaviours. However, polls are usually more focused on a specific issue (e.g., one question on one issue), while surveys can cover a wider range of topics (e.g., multiple questions on multiple issues).
For example, a post-secondary learner engaged in a research project focused on AI in education may choose to survey educators and students across Canada to gather their perceptions about AI’s benefits and challenges. Or, a post-secondary learner might be giving an online presentation about using AI in education and choose to quickly poll their audience in real-time to see where people stand on the topic (e.g., for, against, unsure). Some popular digital survey and polling tools include Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, and Qualtrics. These platforms offer various customization options, allowing you to easily analyze and share your results.
When it comes to designing and using online surveys and polls, there are a few important tips to keep in mind.
- Clearly define your objectives and identify the information you hope to gather from your survey or poll. This will help you determine the appropriate questions to ask, as well as the best format and delivery method for your survey.
- Make sure your survey or poll is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
- Avoid jargon or complicated language, and make sure your questions are clear and concise.
- Test your survey or poll with a small group of users before launching it more widely in order to identify any potential issues or areas for improvement.
- Ensure your survey or poll is accessible for participants.
- Be respectful of your participants' time and privacy. Make sure your survey or poll is brief and to the point, and avoid asking for unnecessary personal information. And always be transparent about how you plan to use the information you collect and provide participants with the option to opt out if they choose.
Here are some tools you can use to create digital surveys and polls. Each tool provides helpful templates and tips to help you develop effective surveys and polls for a variety of purposes. Many tools have free versions, and some are likely provided by your post-secondary institution.
Google Forms
Microsoft Editor
SurveyMonkey
Qualtrics
Mentimeter
Typeform
Learn about common question types for surveys and polls on this website (SurveyMonkey, n.d.)!
Thinking about participating in online discussion forums…
Have you ever participated in an online discussion forum?
What online discussion forums might support you as a post-secondary learner or professional?
Who or what can support your participation in online discussion forums?
Try It!
Create a 5 question survey using one of the tools shared in this section.
- Focus on a topic and audience of your choice.
- Use a variety of question types (e.g., multiple choice, rating, short answer).
- Test your survey with a few classmates to identify potential technical issues and get feedback on areas for improvement.
- Exchange tips for using digital survey tools with your classmates.
Activity
Let’s help Lise review what she’s learned about digital communication.
Thinking about digital communication in your post-secondary context…
- What are your current digital communication strengths?
- What digital communication skills do you need to improve?
- Who or what can help you develop your digital communication skills?
Learn More!
Mass Media Communications
Expert Panel, & Forbes Communications Council. (2023, February 13). 14 Communications Experts Predict The Biggest Social Media Trends Of 2023. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2023/02/13/14-communications-experts-predict-the-biggest-social-media-trends-of-2023/?sh=1db32fb8ff88
Digital Surveys and Polls
SurveyMonkey. (n.d.). Best practices for writing good survey and poll questions. https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/writing-survey-questions/
Fisher, S. (2023, August 15). How to create an effective survey in 15 simple tips. Qualtrics. https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/how-to-create-a-survey/