In an online course, discussion boards provide that same visible, interactive space for students to interact academically and socially with their peers. Asynchronous, online discussions where students can process the material, interact with each other, and form a collaborative community are key to successful online teaching.
Introduce Yourself
How to Contribute to Online Discussion Boards The discussion board on Blackboard is an important element in many courses, and especially for most online courses. Having a place to write about course material as the class progresses often takes the place of or supplements real time class discussions.
Discussion boards are reflective in nature. They force students to read other perspectives and carefully consider a response. The social aspects of the face-to-face classroom are very intimidating for many students, especially for ESL speakers, new students, and those who are simply shy or quiet.
Teaching Tips: Discussion Board. Blackboard's Discussion Board is a place where you can set up forums (or topic areas) and allow students to discuss topics either as a whole class or in smaller groups. Discussions happen asynchronously (meaning, on their own time and not as a “live” chat).
A Discussion Board is an asynchronous communication tool that allows students to collaborate with others through posting or answering questions. Students respond to a discussion board forum topic by creating a thread, or replying to an existing thread.
The table, Four Primary Discussion Types for Online Courses, summarizes the purpose, design, monitoring, evaluation recommendations and faculty involvement for each type.
Discussion boards help to create a social presence in an online course along with a sense of community. Presence and community, in turn, can foster emotional connections. They also improve student learning and can create greater feelings of satisfaction with the course.
Tips for writing a good discussion threadPart 1: State what your thought or recommendation might be. In other words, answer the question, “What do you think?”Part 2: State why you think what you think. ... Part 3: State what you wish you knew or directly solicit the opinion of classmates (in other words, ask a question!)
A discussion board (known also by various other names such as discussion group, discussion forum, message board, and online forum) is a general term for any online "bulletin board" where you can leave and expect to see responses to messages you have left. Or you can just read the board.
10 Tips for Effective Online DiscussionsConvey Clear Expectations. ... Adjust to the Discussion Board. ... Clarify Your Role. ... Provide Feedback and Coaching. ... Track Participation. ... Offer Groups and Discussion Board Alternatives. ... Create Questions You Care About. ... Select Discussion Leaders.More items...•
Online Discussion Boards have become a staple of online learning. Discussion Boards can be a great opportunity for collaboration in our online learning world. Why not have some fun with them and think outside the box. With a little creativity and innovative thinking, discussion boards can be taken to a whole new level.
An initial post is your first response to a question posed by the instructor.Answer the question. Do this first if possible. ... Give evidence. Provide an explanation for your point of view, and use evidence from your text, notes, or outside research (where appropriate) to support your point.Explain the connection.
Here are five tips I've gleaned for improving online discussion boards.Divide and Conquer. ... Direct Traffic. ... Assign Actions. ... Incorporate Student Interactivity. ... Deter Students from Parachuting into Discussion.
Guidelines for Forum PostsParticipate in online forums as you would in constructive, face-to-face discussions. ... Postings should continue a conversation and provide avenues for additional continuous dialogue. ... Do not post “I agree,” or similar, statements. ... Stay on the topic of the thread – do not stray.More items...
What are discussion boards for online courses? Discussion boards for online classes give students the opportunity to talk about course topics with each other, and with the instructor, as they would if they were in a traditional classroom. This helps students absorb the class material and share ideas.
However, depending on the course, online discussion boards may also be required in traditional and hybrid classes in order to increase student engagement.
Also, students have the opportunity to practice their communication skills, connect with their peers, get used to using proof to bolster their arguments , and sharpen critical thinking abilities.
Getting too personal. Although some of the topics covered in a class may remind students of personal experiences, an online discussion board is not the appropriate forum to discuss their problems or ask for advice on issues not related to the course.
Although discussion forum posts don’t have to be as formal as term papers and other assignments, they also should not be too casual. Students should still pay attention to things like sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and punctuation when they write their posts.
However, these students still benefit from class discussions through online discussion boards, which allow them to create original posts about a course topic and respond to the posts of other students. ...
A student who writes two pages on a discussion board post can be impressive, but that is not necessary. Originality and insight can often be expressed in a few sentences. As well, it’s easier to correct a few sentences grammatically than it is to correct two pages.
The takeaway: Online discussions are a great way to think deeply about content by sharing ideas with classmates.
Online faculty assign discussion board questions because there is an overwhelming amount of research saying students deeply learn and grow through frequent conversations and debates on salient academic topics. Researchers say the online forum promotes deeper engagement with subject matter and gives a voice to those feeling stigmatized. [.
In a physical classroom discussion, before students answer a question asked by the professor, they can scan for subtle nonverbal reactions of classmates. They can also wait to hear the opinions of the students who are confident enough in their own convictions to speak first.
In a basic discussion forum, the instructor provides an initial post. Students are given a deadline to create a response based on the writing prompt. Students are then given a second deadline to read other student posts and provide feedback to one or more of those.
In some cases, students may be given roles (especially in small group discussions). The most common role is the discussion leader. This person generally interacts with most of the other participants and generates new discussion by asking related questions. The success of this type of discussion depends heavily on two major factors.
Some discussions include all members of the class while others are limited to small groups of 5-7 participants. There are several things to consider before deciding whether to go big or small. In a class-wide discussion forum, students may struggle to find something unique or original to say about the topic.
The key to a quality discussion is the assignment the students are given. Questions that can be answered with a yes or no will make for a very short and concise discussion. Questions should be framed in a way to encourage students to think about alternatives and possibilities.
Consider using video or audio as part of your discussions. Students can easily record themselves answering questions with their smartphone cameras. These recordings can be uploaded into Blackboard’s regular discussion boards or included in more advanced discussion tools like VoiceThread.
In medical education, one of the key contributing factors to ensuring student involvement in discussion boards is to make them part of the student’s grade (Oliver & Shaw, 2003). If you have a rubric, then you are halfway there.
We have all been inundated by the stream of notifications resulting from responses in a group chat. One minute you think you’re all caught up with the conversation, then you look away for one hour to see fifteen or more new messages. If you are not checking your discussion boards regularly, this could happen to you too.
In fact, many students even prefer online discussion to in-person discussion, most likely due to the chance to communicate more freely.
In turn, students can communicate in real time with each other, their instructor and presenter by chatting. Here are WebEx’s capabilities: Connect with the user’s chosen device or call in via their tool-installed phone. Record discussion audio and video (for later use, the download option is available)
WebEx. WebEx is a free tool for video, multi-featured phones, and web conferencing. It’s suitable for students, faculties, and staffs due to its integrated chat function. Much similar to Google Hangouts, Adobe Connect, or Skype, users of WebEx can host and join in audio and video meetings, presentations, and conferences.
Backchannel Chat is a payment-required tool for grades 7–12. The tool works well as an online discussion board. Its restrained online discussions are supposed to engage learners and urge them to share.
And Padlet is Gravity Wall activity’s digital equivalent. Padlet is a virtual space where students can post their questions, thoughts, and ideas for discussion.
Getting students to join in class discussions is difficult enough. It can be even more trying to encourage discussion online – outside of the actual classroom. That’s why e-learning usually lacks interaction, engagement and motivation. But this can be changed with some modifications and with the help of useful tools for online discussion board.
In addition to discussions, the platform is great for grading and online assignments. Chalkup should be an ideal choice for any teacher who happens to be searching for an LMS for their class.