Why is online discussion worth discussing? For starters, many conversations about this unique form of interaction have centered on its merits. Is it better or worse than face-to-face discussion? As interesting as those conversations have been, what merits analysis now are the implications of those
Nearly all online faculty use discussion in their courses, often simply because everyone else does or their institution’s course development model assumes they do. But like any course content or activity, we need to ask about its purpose. There is no law that all online
Exchanging ideas, sharing information, and voicing opinions in an online course isn’t the same as doing so when the class meets face-to-face. Even so, some of the same problems emerge: not all students participate, and some offer observations unconnected to previous comments in the exchange.
Faculty who move from face-to-face teaching to online teaching must decide how to facilitate student interaction in a web environment. Nearly all use the asynchronous threaded discussion forum that is a central feature of all learning management systems (LMSs). Some also use synchronous video conferencing,
Online discussions aren’t a new thing anymore; they regularly occur in online courses and courses with online components. What we’ve learned for sure: they’re a mixed bag. On the plus side, they make participation safer. Students can make a post, walk away, and not worry
The limitations of traditional online discussion boards are well-known. Yellowdig is an alternative that I have used to simplify grading, encourage student-driven conversations, and engage students so that they consistently participate throughout the semester. With familiar, social media-like features, Yellowdig is an LMS-integrated discussion tool
Late last summer we set the goal to liven up our discussion boards. We wanted a forum that encouraged diverse points of view, student questioning, and respectful debate. We did so by creating the gamified discussion board called Discussion Hero. Discussion Hero has students adopt
Most online courses have what we call “traditional discussions,” which follow the read-write-post (and perhaps reply to a peer or two) pattern. Even if the discussion questions are interesting, both instructors and students can get tired of the same old routine. We recommend trying any
Unlike a lot of faculty teaching today, Brian Udermann learned about the potential of online discussion boards almost by accident. It all happened about 15 years ago when he noticed the online discussion forum feature in his institution’s new learning management system and decided to
While preparing for a Teaching Professor Conference session on facilitating classroom discussions (much of which applies to online exchanges), I’ve been reminded yet again of the complexity involved in leading a discussion with students new to the content and unfamiliar with academic discourse. hile preparing
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Why is online discussion worth discussing? For starters, many conversations about this unique form of interaction have centered on its merits. Is it better or worse than face-to-face discussion? As interesting as those conversations have been, what merits analysis now are the implications of those features that differentiate online from face-to-face discussion. Online discussions are written exchanges minus nonverbal cues, offered asynchronously and with required comments and responses tied to teacher-provided structures. Those separated but interconnected features have implications for the teacher who plans, facilitates, and assesses the exchanges; for students who are learning to engage in digital academic discourse; and for how course content is to be learned.
Normally, entries in our It’s Worth Discussing collection focus on a topic as it’s presented in a single scholarly article. But in this case I was unable to find an article that explored these very important implications with the depth and detail a worthwhile discussion merits. What follows is a collection of quotations from various articles and potential discussion questions. It’s such an important topic. With the recent move to extensive remote learning, increasingly online discussions are becoming a bread-and-butter learning activity in our courses. Their features deserve our focused attention.
Aloni, M., & Harrington, C. (2018). Research based practices for improving the effectiveness of asynchronous online discussion boards. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 4(4), 271–289. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000121
Dixon, C. S. (2014). The three E’s of online discussion. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 15(1), 1–8.
Heuer, B. P., & King, K. P. (2004). Leading the band: The role of the instructor in online learning for educators. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 3(1). http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/3.1.5.pdf
Mandernach, B. J., Forrest, K. D., Babutzke, J. L., & Manker, L. R. (2009). The role of instructor interactivity in promoting critical thinking in online and face-to-face classrooms. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 49–62. https://jolt.merlot.org/vol5no1/mandernach_0309.pdf
Smith, T. W. (2019). Making the most of online discussion: A retrospective analysis. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 31(1), 21–31. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE3172.pdf
“Our results challenge the traditional comparison between online and face-to-face instruction . . . shifting the focus from a superficial analysis of the comparative value of each instructional mode to a more insightful investigation of instructional factors that are uniquely relevant and valuable in the distinctive settings created by online and face-to-face education” (Mandernach et al., 2009, p. 58).
Online environments “should foster a sense of community, encourage tolerance of conflicting ideas and viewpoints, require research and citing sources that will support opinions, and enable students to find their own voices, whether in agreement or disagreement with their peers” (a source quoted in Dixon, 2014, p. 4).
“Online discussion is not the ‘easy way’ for instructors to teach a class. Rather, online discussion involves perhaps more time and preparation in order to assure that each student receives the maximum opportunity for learning” (Dixon, p. 6).
In this work a group of online teachers was asked to describe their role, and they characterized it
“as active and evolving during [the course]. They expected the instructor to act as a planner, a role model, a coach, a facilitator and, above all, a communicator. These roles are interconnected and overlapping, with different emphases at different times and in varying degrees throughout the life of the course” (Heuer & King, 2004).
“Our findings suggest that the asynchronous component of online learning does not inherently prompt students toward enhanced critical thinking” (Mandernach et al., p. 58).
“Our findings indicate that the forum in which discussion occurs (face-to-face or online) is not as important to the development of critical thinking as the ability of the instructor to effectively facilitate discussions activities. The challenge for instructors is to adapt the familiar and comfortable discussion facilitation strategies of the traditional, face-to-face classroom to the unique dynamics of the asynchronous, online classroom” (Mandernach et al., p. 58).
“It might seem that online instruction simplifies the role of the instructor. However, these data indicate the need for the instructor’s constant, continuing, informed, and observant involvement” (Heuer & King).
“One of the greatest challenges of online discussion is low student participation and engagement. There are many reasons why students either do not contribute at all to online discussions or contribute in a shallow manner” (Aloni & Harrington, 2018, pp. 273–74).
Here are the reasons listed in the article:
