“Capturing Classroom Conversations Online Using Discussion Boards”
Presenters; Dr. Michelle Glowacki -Dudka
mdudka@bsu.edu
Cindy Cash, Instructional Designer
cscash@bsu.edu
(Anderson, 2009) about the two being intertwined in a dance: the technology sets the beat and creates the music,
while the pedagogy defines the moves.
Anderson, T., & Dron, J. (2010). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. The International Review Of Research In Open And
Distance Learning, 12(3), 80-97. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/890/1663
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“Capturing Classroom Conversations Online Using Discussion Boards”
1) Participation on Blackboard. (20 points)
Weeks will go from Tuesday – Sunday. Please post summaries, process observations, by Sunday night at 5 p.m.
Take Monday (or before) to read the chapter(s) for the week. The facilitator/convener for the next week will email
questions for the next weeks reading by Monday at 5 p.m. I will have the weeks questions edited from your
suggestions by Tuesday at 9 a.m. to discuss for the week.
Due of the structure of the course, participation in the discussion boards and other course activities is required.
Participants learn not only from the text and instructor, but from other participants as well. If you do not
participate you will not only lose the opportunity for learning yourself, but you will deprive others of the
opportunity to learn with and from you.
You will be placed in small groups of four or five for daily discussion. A structure for the groups is outlined below.
Each group will have roles of convener/facilitator, process observer, and summarizer that will rotate weekly. All
group members will actively participate in the conversation, but the 2 without roles for the week can read and
write, but can rest from a more formal role during that week.
You must read discussion board postings from others and post your own messages at least 8 times each week in
these small groups. You will need to talk with each other about the questions and your experience related to each.
I recommend planning to check the Blackboard every day or at a minimum every other, to be timely in
responding to the posts.
Group Roles= 1) Facilitator + 2) Process Observer + 3) Summarizer
You will be asked to respond to questions from the text submitted to me by the facilitators and I will edit and post
in Announcements each week, so each group will respond to the same questions. Please respond to the questions
and then engage and ask questions of each other in the same thread of ideas. The discussion between group
members, as you consider and reflect on your experience and the readings, is where you will learn the most.
These 8 postings per week must be meaningful (“I agree” or “I don’t think so” are unacceptable responses). Pithy
responses move the conversation forward and explore ideas thoroughly providing feedback to others and asking
more questions about the material so others can continue the dialogue. More information about the online
portion of this class is below.
Please complete your posts to the group discussion by Saturday night, so the summarizer and process observer
can make their reports by Sunday evening at 5 p.m.
The summarizer from each group will then post to the full class discussion board (in the Summarizer Section) at
least once a week about what you have been discussing in your small group.
The process observer will post the full class about how the dynamics of your group progressed over the week (in
the Process Observer section). The first week please negotiate a schedule of roles. Post your reports to the full
class by Sunday evening (5 p.m.) of each week.
Stay involved in the full class discussion board by reading and posting as much as you can. I will monitor the small
group discussions and will come in with some comments, but will not take over the conversation. I will read and
comment on the full class discussion board. I will also read and respond to your assignments in a timely way.
The first few weeks, I will be more active as you get a handle on the course. Then I will read, but not post as much
as the semester progresses. Important information will be shared via email and on the Announcements page.
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“Capturing Classroom Conversations Online Using Discussion Boards”
Online Expectations and Process
Overview
My Assumptions About The Course
Online environments provide a unique way to interact and learn. Although it is not as familiar as the classroom, the
discussion and depth of understanding can be greater when conditions are right. Hopefully in this class, we will
establish a sense of familiarity and trust with each other, in order to have thoughtful dialogue and at times, debate
over teaching methods that best serve adult learners. I want you to finish this course with not only a sense of what
and how, but also an understanding of why we teach and the ability to articulate that to others.
My Role:
In this course, I assume the position as convener, facilitator, resource guide, process observer in the large group,
but I am also a co-learner. In the small groups you will assume these roles more than I will. I will be actively
watching your interactions and reading the postings, but may not always add my voice.
Please understand and do not feel abandoned, but I want you to take charge of your own learning and learn from
each other. If you are struggling or straying too far, I will come in and assist to get you back on track, but this is a
course where you will gain what you put into it. Some weeks we will take a break from small group postings in
order to complete other assignments. These dates will be noted in the syllabi and I will also inform you.
My expectations of learners are very high and I expect you to work at your top level. I understand that you each
are adults with busy lives and hopefully the format of this course will enable you to work on your own schedule
and do very well. I truly look forward to working with you and learning from you in this course.
Please stay tuned to the announcements page on Blackboard. Questions for the week and other important
information will be posted there.
Readings:
Please read the chapters for the week before joining the conversation. The book that I have selected is a tool that
will guide your learning in this course. It provides a practical resource for your work in the future and introduces
you to many issues related to learning in adulthood.
You may find contrasting opinions and methods that may not be applicable for all settings. Feel free to raise
questions and challenge the book in your small group discussion. Many of the guiding questions for the course will
ask for your opinion about issues in the text and what you felt was valuable or not. Certainly these are not the only
texts that can be used in this course and I welcome your suggestions for other readings related to the course as
well. Please post your recommended reading suggestions for the whole class and if it is an online source, please
attach the web link as well. Suggestions like this will us to learn from each other.
Postings:
My role as facilitator in this course is to set up an environment for you to learn and to provide activities and
resources that will encourage you to get the most from the course. It is essential that you interact and post
comments to the discussion boards, for unlike the classroom, we cannot know if you are there unless you
contribute. A portion of your grade will be based on your contributions. The postings should be “pithy”. This means
that they should be related to the current discussion topics and more than a statement of “I agree” or “I disagree”.
They should move the conversation along and be thoughtful. Also they should promote a positive environment –
you can disagree with something said, but don’t be hurtful or attack a person.
Keep your postings focused. If you have divergent thoughts, you may want to open a new subject strand. On
Blackboard when you are responding to a question, keep the discussion under that heading and respond. When
you have new ideas or new topics, change the subject heading. It helps keep the discussion organized.
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“Capturing Classroom Conversations Online Using Discussion Boards”
In this course, we will have small groups 4 -5 members. Most of your processing will take place in these small
groups. Each week members of the group will take on different roles. The roles are: 1) convener/facilitator, 2)
process observer, and 3) summarizer. These roles will shift each week and one learner may rest and just
participate that week. Conversation in the small groups will be closed to others with the summaries and process
information for the whole class to read.
Roles: (as described in 147 Tips for Teaching Online Groups)
1. Convener/Facilitator:
This person will pose the questions for the week and initiate discussion with a few questions from the reading. As
the members respond to the question, the facilitator moderates and extends the discussion by posing new
questions on issues that arise out of the dialogue. Additionally the facilitator may refer back to the readings to
initiate discussion on another aspect of the topic. Facilitators are responsible for keeping an active and involved
discussion going throughout the week.
2. Process Observer:
This person will monitor the group’s dynamics. Process observers are responsible for making sure that everyone is
participating in the discussion, that there is evenness in participation, and that the discussion maintains a collegial
and helpful tone. In a sense, the process observer also functions as a parliamentarian, suggesting when discussion
is off track and bringing a sense of order and consistency at critical moments. At the end of each week, the process
observer provides feedback to the group in a short paragraph. This paragraph of process will be posted for the
small group and large group to see.
3. Summarizer:
This person will look for key themes that emerge in the conversation, keeping track of areas of consensus and
disagreement among group members. When presenting the summary of the discussion, the summarizer is
responsible for tying together the whole discussion and providing the learners with a brief review of the main
issues, the key points, and any conclusions to which the group came. This summary will be posted both in the small
group and in the large group for everyone to see.
Troubleshooting Process.
There is a discussion board for troubleshooting the process of this course. Please post your questions, comments,
or concerns about the process of this course there. Talk about how the course is going and how it can be
improved. We will work out the issues there.
Help Desk.
We also have a discussion board for Help Desk stuff where we can work through technical issues as a group before
calling in the professionals.
Cyber Café.
In this discussion board, you can relax and talk about the other things you would normally chat about before and
after class and during breaks. Feel free to use this area when you need a break from the more specific content.
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