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.