what is a discussion course

Discussion is a tool for sharing thoughts and ideas about class materials, and it is made up of forums and threads in the course shells in Black board. Learn more in: Meeting Emerging Needs of Online Coaching in Teacher Education: Communication, Pedagogy, Technology, and Reflection 9.

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Why use discussion boards in online courses?

Apr 07, 2022 · In your course, click the Discussions tab. On the left side of the Discussions page, the navigation pane displays all of the topics and posts in the course's discussions. All topics, both course-wide and content-specific, can be read and posted to from the navigation pane. In the main area of the Discussions page, when you have not selected any ...

What are discussions?

Create a graded discussion for everyone, individual students, course sections, or course groups. When a discussion is marked as a graded assignment, the Canvas SpeedGrader™ isolates each student’s comments from the thread and combines them into one easily readable view for grading. Subscribe to a discussion and be notified of replies.

What is a course-wide discussion topic?

Discussion starter / original poster: Involve students in initiating the discussion. Designate 2–3 students per discussion to spark the conversation with a question, quotation, an example, or link to previous course content. Discussion wrapper: Engage students in facilitating the discussion. Help students grasp take-aways.

What is class discussion and why is it important?

This course offers strategies that can lead to richer, more productive, whole-class discussions in their classrooms. Focusing on how to prepare for discussion, this course is for anyone who leads, wants to lead, or is interested in how teachers lead discussion. Across the 4 sessions in this course, we’ll learn more about what teachers and students need to do to prepare for rich …

What do you do in a discussion class?

Classroom discussion is a practice in which the instructor and students share views on a specific topic previously lectured. Promoting and facilitating classroom discussions can not only help students learn from one another but also help students understand and retain the lecture better.

What is the difference between a lecture and a discussion?

Lectures are taught by your professor – you go in, sit with EVERYONE enrolled in the course, and listen to your professor teach! Discussions are smaller, usually with 15-30 people, and are taught by GSIs (graduate student instructors).Aug 10, 2015

How do you prepare for a discussion class?

Tips for Participating in Class DiscussionsRead the assignment. Class discussions are usually about a particular topic, and there are usually assigned readings. The first step is to read carefully the assigned material.Make notes for discussion. Make notes on points about which you agree or disagree.

What happens during discussion in college?

To combat this, discussion sections were created. Here, a teaching assistant (TA) generally leads the class through analysis of the content, administers quizzes, leads problem-solving, discusses material, and answers questions regarding assignments, upcoming tests, and general class material.Aug 25, 2020

How discussion method is better than lecture method?

' If the objective of education is to develop knowledge about a topic or field, the lecture is a more efficient method of communication; on the other hand, if the ohjective is the development of problem-solving skills or abilities, the discussion is superior to the lecture.

What is the point of discussion sections?

Definition. The purpose of the discussion section is to interpret and describe the significance of your findings in relation to what was already known about the research problem being investigated and to explain any new understanding or insights that emerged as a result of your research.Mar 31, 2022

What does a good discussion look like?

When good discussions occur, it's because the participants have tacitly agreed to follow some standard rules of etiquette: listen to the other person; wait your turn; give the other person the benefit of the doubt; play nice. When these rules aren't obeyed, discussions grind to a halt in a hurry.Feb 8, 2013

Why is discussion important in the classroom?

Discussion is important to learning in all disciplines because it helps students process information rather than simply receive it. Leading a discussion requires skills different from lecturing. The goal of a discussion is to get students to practice thinking about the course material.

What are the four types of discussion?

These axes help identify individual messages that can be identified as being one of four types of communication: deliberate, dialogue, declare, and debate.Mar 15, 2018

What are the disadvantages of discussion method?

1 Class Size. Class discussions become less effective with a class size greater than 20 students. ... 2 Few Dominate. The class discussion environment allows a few individual students to dominate the class conversation. ... 3 Time Consuming. The nature of class discussion makes the process very time consuming. ... 4 Off Track.

What are the benefits of group discussion?

The important benefits of group discussion are as follows:It helps in learning more – It increases your understanding of a subject or lesson. ... It helps in generating more ideas about a topic. ... It lets you know about your mistakes and weaknesses. ... It helps you build confidence in yourself.More items...

What are the benefits of discussion?

Benefits of DiscussionIncrease student learning.Motivate students.Support teachers in understanding and assessing student thinking.Shift the mathematical authority from teacher (or textbook) to community.

What are discussion topics?

Discussion topics are created by the course team and organize all posts in the course discussion. Discussion topics can be course-wide or content-specific.

How do I join my course's discussions?

You can ask a question or start a conversation within a topic, or respond to someone else's post or response. For more information, see Adding posts in a discussion .

Focused Discussions

Focused discussions include one response and one layer of comment nesting. Focused discussions are relatively short-lived interactions that tend to disappear as the course progresses, such as a weekly forum for questions related to that week's activities.

Threaded Discussions

Threaded discussions include infinite layers of response nesting, allowing commenters to continue responding on a single nested thread. Threaded discussions lend themselves to the refining of complex ideas. Responses and different lines of inquiry that can be quickly navigated due to its hierarchical structure.

Discussions Redesign

If enabled by your institution, Discussions Redesign provides an enhanced experience for course discussions.

The What and Why of Class Discussion

Class discussion can take many forms, from structured prompts and assignments to more casual or informal conversations. Regardless of class context (e.g.: a seminar, large lecture, or lab course) or the form (e.g.: in-person or asynchronous) discussion takes, it offers a number of benefits to students’ learning.

Identifying your Course Context

While the strategies and considerations provided throughout this resource are adaptable across course contexts, it is important to recognize instructors’ varied course formats, and how discussion might differ across them.

Planning for Classroom Discussion

Regardless of your course context, there are some general considerations for planning a class discussion; these considerations include: the goals and expectations, the modality of discussion, and the questions you might use to prompt discussion.

Warming up for Classroom Discussion

Get students comfortable talking with their peers, you, and the TA (s) (as applicable) from the start of the course. Create opportunities for students to have pair or small group conversations to get to know one another and connect as a community.

Engaging in Classroom Discussion

With all of your preparation and planning complete, there are some important considerations you will need to make with both your students and yourself in mind. This section offers some strategies for engaging in classroom discussion.

Wrapping up Classroom Discussion

Ensure that the discussion meets the learning objectives of the course or class session, and that students are leaving the discussion with the knowledge and skills that you want them to acquire. Give students an opportunity to reflect on and share what they have learned.

Leveraging Asynchronous Discussion Spaces

Asynchronous discussion spaces are an effective way for students to prepare for in-class discussion, as well as expand upon what they have already discussed in class. Asynchronous discussion boards also offer a great space for students to reflect upon the discussion, and provide informal feedback.

Why do faculty assign discussion board questions?

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. [.

What is online discussion?

The takeaway: Online discussions are a great way to think deeply about content by sharing ideas with classmates. In a post-first discussion, students can offer opinions free from the influence of classmates. Be bold, state and defend what you think, and you will enhance your learning experience. Tags: , , ,

What is the most important part of an online course?

Discussion boards are arguably the most important part of the online course. In a traditional f2f classroom, students see each other and interact in the physical classroom space. In an online course, discussion boards provide that same visible, interactive space for students to interact academically and socially with their peers.

What is CAT in online teaching?

After students review asynchronous content and/or attend a synchronous class session, a quick Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT) can provide both students and instructor with information about how learning is happening.