How to Use Electronic Forums to Improve Group Communication

How to Use Electronic Forums to Improve Group Communication
By Lauren Nelson, eHow Contributor
updated: May 7, 2010
Electronic forums continue to enhance group communication.
Electronic forums continue to enhance group communication.
computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com

In today's ever evolving technological landscape, new techniques are constantly being developed to improve communication. One such tactic involves the use of electronic forums. An electronic forum can be defined as a network-accessible group communication space, such as a message board, group chat room or file sharing system. Proper utilization of such a forum can be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of communication among group participation.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Making Electronic Forum Communication Work for You
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Establish who will participate, and on what level. In order for group communication in an electronic forum to be effective, all participants must understand who is going to be taking part in the conversation. This allows for messages to be structured in a manner appropriate for their intended audience. Moreover, it establishes certain leadership guidelines. For example, on an online message board for a classroom, the teacher can serve as a moderator, ensuring that the messages stay on topic, appropriate and encourage positive development.
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Lay ground rules for the interactions. Some electronic forums, such as community message boards open to anyone, wind up lacking in quality communication because the board either becomes a series of inside jokes between a handful of users, or because a lack of respect creates a hostile communication environment. It is essential that, upon integration of electronic forums into a communication strategy, basic rules about decorum, including respect and expected quality of participation be clearly outlined to avoid devolving lines of communication.
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Set expectations. It becomes easy for intended participants to become spectators in an electronic forum instead of an active communicator. If the electronic forum is being utilized in the classroom, teachers should indicate the frequency at which students will be expected to post or contribute. If the communication is taking place in a professional setting, team leaders should be willing to call on all participants to make sure they are contributing to the conversation for the good of the final output of the team. By making clear indications about the rate of participation, the marketplace of ideas is expanded, albeit in a digital sense, which helps to increase the potential for good communication between members.
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Stay organized. As a message board ages, its posts will phase out from presentation on the initial message board screen. Making sure that important threads are "stickied," or permanently posted at the top of the list can help prevent repeat threads or confusion. In group chats, it is critical to save the conversations for future records, so that prior discussions can be accurately referenced and ideas are not lost or forgotten. By staying organized, records of communication become more easily accessible, helping to streamline the communication process altogether.
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Use tact. One of the downfalls of any kind of digital communication is that there is rarely context for evaluation of messages being sent. For example, you may intend a comment as off the cuff and sarcastic, but another person reading it could interpret it as direct and rude. As such, carefully crafting messages in the electronic forums, and leaving the horseplay for in-person interactions where non-verbal signals can create additional meaning, will help to better the lines of communication between all parties.


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