FacilitatingOnline Discussions

Jason D. Baker

Topics

• Discussion Value• Discussion Tools• Discussion Tips

Discussion Value

How important is class discussion?

Poll: How Important is Class Discussion in You...

Poll: How Important is Class Discussion in You...

Discussion Value

“…when students interact with other students and their instructors, they are interacting about the content; some form of content is always present in interactive learning processes.”

Kanuka, H. (2011). Interaction and the online distance classroom: Do instructional methods effect the quality of interaction? Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 23, 143-156.

Discussion Value

“Requiring student interaction just for the sake of interaction may lead to diminished completion rates. Again, standards for online teaching should not contain arbitrary thresholds for required interaction.”

Grandzol, C. & Grandzol, J. (2010). Interaction in online courses: More is not always better. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 13(2). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer132/Grandzol_Grandzol132.html

Discussion Tools: COI

Discussion Tools

More than just the discussion board…

Match the tool to the task…

Discussion Tools

VideosPodcasts Voice Boards Conferencing

Virtual Classrooms

JournalsPresentations

ForumsBlogs

WikisSocial Networking

DocumentseBooks

Text ChatSurveys Cloud Docs

Collaboration Richness

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Discussion TipsSocial Presence

“The ability of participants to identify with the community, communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop inter-personal relationships by way of projecting their individual personalities.”

Tips: Social Presence• Share Personal Introductions

– Faculty & Students– Include Pictures, Audio, Video– Model Self Disclosure– Ask Follow-Up Questions

• Establish Classroom Social Space– Water Cooler/Coffee Shop Forum– Allow New Threads & Subscriptions

Tips: Social Presence• Connect to External Social Space

– As Appropriate…– Office, Telephone, Other Contacts– Share Links to Blogs– Offer Social Networking Connections

• Pray and Model Prayer– Offline and Online– Synchronous and Asynchronous

Tips: Social Presence• Be Yourself

– Don’t Hide Your Personality– Students Want You to be Real

• Cautions– Humor, Particularly Sarcasm– Tone, Particularly in Written Communication– Individual vs. Group Communication– Monitor Group Dynamics

Discussion TipsTeaching Presence

“The design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educational worthwhile learning outcomes.”

Tips: Teaching Presence• Not Limited to Discussions

– Syllabus– Commentaries– Podcasts– Voice Announcements– Video Vignettes

• Explain the Course Design– Little Shared History with Online Learning

Tips: Teaching Presence• Set Expectations

– Course Rhythm– Purpose of Discussion

• Connect to Learning Objectives

– Participation Requirements• Point Allocation• Due Days/Dates• Expectation of Frequency, Length, Content, Style

– Identify Your Role

Tips: Teaching Presence• Choose Appropriate Tools• Create Discussion Groups

– Large vs. Small– Consider Random Assignment

• Craft Discussions– Deliberate, Planned, Purposeful– Not “Talk Among Yourselves”

• Create Space for Procedural Questions

Discussion TipsCognitive Presence

“The extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse.”

Tips: Cognitive Presence• Frame Questions Carefully

– “What do you think of this chapter?” tends to provoke a casual response

– “What are the three theories in this chapter?” tends to provoke a structured response drawn from the reading

– “Contrast theories X and Y. Which do you think is more applicable to situation Z?” tends to provoke a more analytical and interactive response

Tips: Cognitive Presence• Model & Reinforce Expectations

– Clear Purpose to the Discussion– Use Names– Reference Sources– Seek Clarification and Follow-Up– Dig Deeper & Evaluate Responses– Follow the Rhythm of the Discussion

• Create Space for Content Questions

Tips: Cognitive Presence• Feedback is Critical

– Silence (from you or them) = ?– Students Desire Timely Feedback

• Content Engagement• Personal Encouragement or Correction• Grading

• Students Want to Hear from You– Don’t Curtail Discussion (Timing)– Do Share Your Insights

Tips: Cognitive Presence• Consider Varied Discussion Approaches

– Case Study– Role Play– Panel Discussion or Debate– Student Discussion Leaders– Students Initiate Questions (Pull vs. Push)– Q&A with a Guest Expert– Create a Repository– Collaborative Writing