Review of E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online (second ed.).

Abstract

Reviews the book, E-moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online (second ed.) (2003). Online learning is increasingly a significant component of most undergraduate and professional development courses, being especially helpful for those students working at a distance, unable to easily participate in face to face sessions. This book is concerned with the role of the e-moderator and provides a practical user's guide to managing electronic conference environments, identifying and exemplifying the tactics that might be adopted by e-moderators to stimulate discussion and encourage participation. It also considers in detail how training might best be organized to provide the necessary knowledge and skills of e-moderation. The book has been updated from the previous edition to provide examples from more recent research and to consider the likely future impact of new technologies, pedagogies and assessment. The strength of this book lies in its pragmatic and practical nature. The authors writes in an enthusiastic, lively and interesting way, using scenarios and metaphors to graphically illustrate the points. It also take a generally negative view of those participants who read messages but may not post a contribution, but does emphasis the importance of understanding why students may be reluctant to post a message and does identify strategies to resolve these situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)