- Online discussions give every student a chance to contribute to the conversation.
- For a variety of reasons, some students don't feel comfortable participating in in-class discussions, but those same students may feel right at home in the online setting.
- Online discussions give students the time to thoughtfully compose each response without feeling like they are "on the spot".
- Students are given the opportunity to practice online writing skills and learn how to handle online conflict in a respectful way.
- Sometimes there just isn't the time for an in-depth discussion in class. A discussion that starts in class can continue online.
If you decide to give online discussions a try, be sure to consider these tips.
Tips for writing
effective discussion questions
Do:
- Activate prior knowledge and experience
- Ask students to explain their answers
- Prepare and ask follow-up questions
- Ask questions that create controversy or will demonstrate a wide variety of opinions
- Provide suggestions for what students should focus on when responding to others
- Utilize videos and other resources to help engage students in discussion
Don’t:
- Ask questions that are strictly factual
- Ask questions that can be answered with yes or no
- Ask questions which have only one right/desired answer
Tips for
facilitating a successful online discussion
Do:
- Get involved
- Monitor discussions regularly
- Set clear and rigorous expectations for language, grammar, posting lengths and number of posts
- Do make it clear to students how they will be assessed and graded
- Ask follow-up questions to give the discussion new life
- Provide timely feedback
Student tips for participating in online
discussions
Do:
- Explain why
you agree or disagree, and add some examples to support your belief
- Relate your
personal or work experiences to the topic at hand
- Ask additional
questions of your classmates
- Make
connections between the topics at hand and the readings in the text or
related articles
- Add ways you
can apply the lessons from the class in your work and educational life
