how to set up effective online discussions for online course

How To Facilitate Meaningful Online Discussions In eLearning 1. Have A Conflict Resolution Plan In Place. Anytime you have a group of people gathered in one place, even if it's... 2. Define Expectations. Different eLearning courses have different levels of social interactivity. While some make... 3. ...

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How do I use online discussions as an instructor?

One of the most important elements for instructors who use online discussions is instructor presence. You establish instructor presence by posting the discussion questions, directing the groups in the discussions, providing feedback on how the discussion is going, acknowledging especially insightful posts — in other words, by being “present.”

How can I facilitate an effective online discussion?

Fostering an effective discussion can be challenging in a face-to-face situation and even more so in an online environment. Here are some planning and facilitation strategies to help you to successfully implement online discussions into your own course. Online discussions can take place in two modes: asynchronous and synchronous.

How do I start an online discussion group?

Prior to starting an online discussion group, consider facilitating an activity to help students understand the dynamics of their team and what their own role in the group will be. If you have TAs assisting with the online discussion, ensure that they model the kinds of interactions you’re aiming for.

Why do online courses have live sessions in them?

Students often take online courses because their schedule or personal life does not allow them to go to class twice a week. It does not mean that they can't attend live sessions. Two years ago, I introduced live sessions in all my online courses. These are optional.

Why do students take online classes?

Consider offering live discussions. Students often take online courses because their schedule or personal life does not allow them to go to class twice a week. It does not mean that they can't attend live sessions. Two years ago, I introduced live sessions in all my online courses. These are optional.

What are the norms of online academic discussions?

The norms of online academic discussions are a lot less established than those that occur in person. Students might bring particular expectations to their online course. It is important to share with them how you envision your role in online discussions, which depends upon your pedagogical beliefs and teaching style.

What is the first discussion assignment?

The first discussion assignment in my courses is deliberately low-stakes. Students must introduce themselves and are encouraged (but not required) to post a few photos. Students are then asked to read and reply to two or three of their classmates' introductions. This enables them to get to know each other and their instructors and to get accustomed to the discussion board.

How to make sure the discussion question is clearly understood?

Make sure the discussion question is clearly understood—when helpful, refer to assigned readings or resources that provide the basis for the discussion question. At the end of a course, review the reaction to discussion questions and note those questions which did not lead to effective discussion.

What is discussion board?

The discussion board (whether the main board or including the student group boards) is often the heart of an online course as far as student dynamics is concerned, providing a home base for conducting the formal week to week activities of the course, asking and answering questions of clarification, and offering a main venue for collaboration and interaction of all sorts. Interaction takes place between students as well as between instructor and students. All of these activities must be planned in advance as part of your design of the discussion area. In the Preparation for Teaching Online (PTO) workshop, we discussed the differences between using blog or wiki areas for discussion and using Blackboard discussion boards. Please refer to the Week 2 materials of the PTO workshop for that information as well as on the topic of discussion facilitation. We will repeat only a few pertinent points here.

When preparing for a virtual discussion, what should you do?

When preparing for a virtual discussion, take time to mentally walk through the learning objectives, driving questions, and key takeaways. Students flounder in the face of poorly articulated questions or unexpected shifts of activities.

How can virtual discussions be made more smooth?

Even basic expectations such as self-muting can make virtual discussions go much more smoothly. If a class meeting involves a mix of lecture and discussion, cue that shift explicitly, set a time frame, and let students know the specific goals of the discussion at hand.

How do small group discussions help students?

Especially for larger classes, small group discussions allow students to negotiate their own understanding of the content. They also can make your classes more inclusive (Hogan and Sathy 2020). While the instructor cannot observe all groups at once in a virtual meeting, they might use cloud-based workspaces to track students’ progress. For example, groups might take notes on different pages of a Google Doc or collect data on separate tabs in a Google Sheet. These apps often include a chat feature where they ask questions or make observations for everyone to see.

Why is it important to boost the signal of a peer's question or comment?

Boosting the signal of a peer’s question or comment, perhaps with additional thoughts, provides students with additional opportunities for meaningful participation. It also encourages them to practice embedding their thoughts and questions in a larger context, a key skill for research and research-based communication.

Why are written comments important in class?

In terms of class management, written comments allow more students to participate at a given time, leading to a richer and more layered discussion. Students can scroll back to reread important ideas or catch up if they had to step away for a moment.

Is it normal to feel intimidated by the amount of information to track during a virtual discussion?

It’s normal to feel intimidated by the amount of information to track during a virtual discussion. If you’re lucky enough to have a TA, they can help by monitoring the participants and chat window, bringing things to your attention at the right moment or preemptively responding to questions.

How much of a course grade is assigned to online discussions?

If no grade is assigned, students are less likely to participate. It’s recommended that participation in online discussions counts for 10% to 20% of the course grade; research shows that no additional benefits result when ...

What are the parameters for discussion posts?

Students need clear parameters for discussion posts (i.e., length, frequency, timeliness, due dates). If you want students to have discussed a topic that you’ll be later taking up in class, clearly indicate the deadline by which they must have contributed their posts.

What is the advantage of synchronous discussion?

The main advantage of synchronous online discussion is that it facilitates a faster and perhaps more natural “back and forth” conversation, though probably one in which the contributions are not as fully developed.

What is the goal of discussion groups?

The goal is for students to feel a sense of ownership over the discussion. Provide direct instruction to the students. Direct instruction and feedback to the online discussion groups is sometimes necessary to keep students on track.

Why do instructors use asynchronous discussion?

These discussions also allow instructors to get a preview of how well students are understanding the content. The main advantage of synchronous online discussion is ...

How do classroom discussions work?

Classroom discussions are basically synchronous, in that all the students and instructor are online together and are in discussion at the same time. Synchronous discussions can also be held online, using tools such as Blackboard Collaborate or Centra, that allow the instructor to ‘moderate’ the discussion by controlling access to the microphone. Other tools include a ‘live chat’ facility that allows comments to be typed and read by the whole group in real time. Social media such as Twitter can also be used to encourage discussion in short bursts of 140 characters for instance during a lecture or other synchronous activity.

What is the opposite of dominating discussion forums?

Students who dominate discussion forums are the opposite problem. Such students will write long responses or will respond to every other students’ comments. They may also post aggressive, critical or dismissive comments about other students’ contributions. Such students can cause

Benefits of Discussions

Best Practices For Effective Discussions

Facilitating Discussions

Grading Discussions

Recommended Technologies

Top Five Tips For Effective Online Discussions

References

Convey Clear Expectations

Adjust to The Discussion Board

Clarify Your Role

Provide Feedback and Coaching

Track Participation

Offer Groups and Discussion Board Alternatives

• If you have more than fifteen students, consider creating discussion groups or increasing the number of questions students may choose from. It will be easier for your students to stay on top of the discussion as they won't feel that they have to read everything everybody posts. Consider offering live discussions. Students often take online courses ...

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Create Questions You Care About

Select Discussion Leaders

Encourage Note-Taking

Know When It's Time to Stop Posting