The dynamics of online-based asynchronous discussions are very different to real-time classroom based equivalents. Key affordances and challenges to bear in mind when creating such activities are summarised below.
On-campus vs online affordances
- Face-to-face > Mostly written communication
- Led by educator > Led by activity (no ‘real-time’ delivery)
- Presented > Facilitated
- Levels of student participation easier to see > harder to see
Below are some tips for ensuring your students get the most from online discussion.
Tip #1 Ensure students are able to access the discussion and are motivated to take part
Help promote the value of your discussion and keep an eye on students who aren’t engaging. You could send a private message of support and encouragement. Refer any students’ technical problems to CIS.
Tip #2 Support online socialisation
‘Icebreaker’ exercises at the start of the module can help students get to know a little bit about each other and you. In the first few exercises of your module, you could reduce as many barriers as possible (e.g. time involved, complexity) for students to contribute until they become more confident of using the technology and build relationships within their online group.
Tip #3 Have clear objectives
What will students gain from participation? While you may be able to direct the conversation more in a face-to-face session to avoid repetition and allow more depth to a discussion, how can you design an asynchronous activity to achieve such outcomes?
Ways to increase participation and encourage distinct contributions may include: role-playing (e.g. customer, supplier, shareholder in a case example); reporting back results of individual tasks/group work, hosting a debate format with pre-assigned ‘sides’ and so on.
Think about how the discussions relate to the overall learning outcomes and assessment for the module and that this is clear to students to promote engagement.
Tip #4 Be visible and set expectations
Create the forum and the discussion threads. Ensure you have uploaded your picture to your DUO profile.
Demonstrate the value of participation by sharing something yourself. Give positive acknowledgments to those who post. Summarise the information that has been shared with the group.
Is participation mandatory? How long will the discussion run for? Monday-Friday? How often will you check it?
You could set expectations for expected behaviours – advice for students could include the points below, for example:
- Stay on topic – brevity is appreciated
- Critically engage – your responses should expand on the ideas of others, ask questions, and enhance or expand the discussion
- Evidence – corroborating your facts with evidence can help others with research
- Return to the conversation – check to see if others have responded to your post
- Be respectful of other people’s opinions
- Review – review and think about your post before hitting submit.
Further guidance on facilitating online discussion boards (Word document).
Related guide: How to set up a Blackboard (DUO) discussion board