Editing Internet forum (section)

===In education===
{{See also|Educational technology|Edutainment|Massive open online course}}
Online discussion platforms can play a role in education.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Conference 2013, Volume 2|date=23 April 2014 |publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=9781483406671|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ydywBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA157|accessdate=26 July 2017|language=en}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=December 2017}} In recent years, online discussion platform have become a significant part of not only [[distance education]] but also in campus-based settings.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hybrid Learning: Innovation in Educational Practices - 8th {{!}} Simon K.S. Cheung {{!}} Springer|url=https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319206202|accessdate=26 July 2017|language=en|isbn=9783319206202 |last1=Cheung |first1=Simon K. S. |last2=Kwok |first2=Lam-for |last3=Yang |first3=Harrison |last4=Fong |first4=Joseph |last5=Kwan |first5=Reggie |date=29 June 2015 |publisher=Springer }}</ref>

The proposed interactive e-learning community (iELC) is a platform that engages physics students in online and classroom learning tasks. In brief classroom discussions fundamental physics formulas, definitions and concepts are  disclosed, after which students participate in the iELC form discussion and utilize chat and dialogue tools to improve their understanding of the subject. The teacher then discusses selected forum posts in the subsequent classroom session.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wong|first1=Su Luan|last2=Abu Bakar|first2=Kamariah|title=Qualitative findings of students' perception on practice of self-regulated strategies in online community discussion|journal=Computers & Education|date=1 August 2009|volume=53|issue=1|pages=94–103|doi=10.1016/j.compedu.2008.12.021|url=http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7650/1/Qualitative%20findings%20of%20students%20perception%20on%20practice%20of%20Self%20regulated%20strategies%20in%20online%20community%20discussion.pdf}}</ref>

Classroom online discussion platforms are one type of such platforms.<ref>{{cite journal|title= Participation, interaction, and academic achievement in an online discussion environment|journal= Computers & Education|volume=84|pages=78–89|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272239937|accessdate=27 July 2017|language=en|doi=10.1016/j.compedu.2015.01.008|year=2015|last1=Zheng|first1=Binbin|last2=Warschauer|first2=Mark}}</ref>

Rose argues that the basic motivation for the development of e–learning platforms is efficiency of scale — teaching more students for less money.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Coopman|first1=Stephanie J.|title=A critical examination of Blackboard's e-learning environment|journal=First Monday|date=17 May 2009|volume=14|issue=6|doi=10.5210/fm.v14i6.2434|url=http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2434/2202|accessdate=26 July 2017|language=en |doi-access= free|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

A study found that learners will enhance the frequencies of course discussion and actively interact with e-learning platform when e-learning platform integrates the curriculum reward mechanism into learning activities.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lan|first1=Yu-Feng|last2=Yang|first2=Chia-Lung|title=2009 IEEE International Conference on Virtual Environments, Human-Computer Interfaces and Measurements Systems |chapter=A practical approach to encourage students participation in asynchronous online discussions based on expectancy theory |pages=271–276|doi=10.1109/VECIMS.2009.5068907|date=May 2009|isbn=978-1-4244-3808-2|s2cid=23457961}}</ref>