Facilitating
Online 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…
Media Richness
Discussion Tools
Videos
Podcasts
Voice Boards
Conferencing
Virtual Classrooms
Journals
Presentations
Forums
Blogs
Wikis
Social Networking
Documents
eBooks
Text Chat
Surveys
Cloud Docs
Collaboration Richness
Discussion Tips
Social Presence
“The ability of participants to identify with the
community, communicate purposefully in a
trusting environment, and develop interpersonal 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 Tips
Teaching 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 Tips
Cognitive 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