Facilitating Online Discussions

Why Create Online Discussions

Have you ever run out of time just when a class discussion became interesting?  Would you like to hear opinions of the quiet students who get lost in the crowd?  Would you like to enhance the critical thinking level of your students?  If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, consider the advantages of incorporating discussions online.

Through the use of online questioning strategies you can expect the following benefits:

  • More productive in-class discussions
  • Deeper and more reflective student responses
  • Improved participation and accountability since everyone has an opportunity to participate and be heard
  • An easily accessible record of the discussion thought processes
  • Time for more personal student contact

On This Page:

  1. Question Types for Online Discussions
  2. Online Discussion Considerations
  3. Responding to and Facilitating the Discussion Process
  4. Engaging Students in Discussions
  5. Rubrics

Question Types for Online Discussions

How do you ask a question to elicit the level of thinking/learning that you want?

Using well-defined questions can help students understand content on a basic level, then guide them to elaborate on that understanding and think critically about the content.

Varied types of questions can help create the appropriate learning environment for your students.

Questions can:

Extract factual knowledge:

Frame factual questions to target factual information needed for recall or restatement of concepts. In factual questions, the student is NOT asked to compare or relate material or make any inductive or deductive leaps.

Use of factual questions

Use factual questions to draw out factual answers, check recall, or recognize critical information.

Key Crafting Words - Who, what, why, when, and where
  • Match, select
  • Describe, define
  • Omit, which one; which is the best one, how much
  • Cite, label, list, state
Technology and Rationale

Factual recall implies immediate dexterity with information so your online strategy should be synchronous in nature (e.g., create an online quiz with short answers or matching or provide Q&A in a chat room).  These online techniques can help students review online for a test, help students stay updated on reading assignments, or gauge student preparation/understanding of text information.

Additional tools to consider would be; VoiceThread, Top Hat Powerpoint and Kaltura.

 

 

 

Assess a student's comprehension:  

Use comprehension questions when you want the learner to be able to translate information, extrapolate ideas, or interpret information. The student is asked to be literal in his/her thinking.

Use of comprehension questions

Use comprehension questions to have the students use content information. Ask them to translate that information into a new form which displays their understanding of the material.

Key Crafting Words 
  • State in your own words
  • State in one word
  • Compare, contrast
  • What does this mean...?
  • Give an example
  • Condense this paragraph
  • What expectations are there
  • What are they saying
  • Which statements support
  • Translate, judge, classify, select, match, explain, represent. etc.
  • Is this the same as...
  • Is it valid that...
  • What would happen if ...
Technology and Rationale

Comprehension of material suggests that students be asked to convey their perception of the information. Depending on the level of student knowledge that you want to target, you can use either synchronous or asynchronous techniques that allow the learner to demonstrate their understanding of the content.

Chat, discussion, and email can be used to check comprehension. For instance. ask students to paraphrase the important concepts of an assigned reading via email. Or provide opportunity for students and instructor to chat such as VoiceThread, Top Hat Powerpoint and Kaltura.

 

 

 

 

Ask the learner to apply his/her knowledge and comprehension:  

Frame application questions to present problems that approximate real-life situations. The idea is to enable learners to practice the principles they have encountered.

Use of application questions

Use application questions to explore knowledge and solve problems.  They allow a learner to deal with content information as a whole and use it in a new and practical way.

Key Crafting Words 
  • Predict what would happen if...
  • Choose the best statements that apply
  • Judge the effects of
  • What would result if
  • Tell how, when, where or why
  • Identify the results of
  • Select
  • Tell what would result if
  • Tell how much change there would be
Technology and Rationale

Application questions ask the learners to act on the knowledge they possess. They ask the students to apply what they know to a new or different situation. Depending on the depth and detail of response you wish to obtain, you may wish to use synchronous (same time) or asynchronous tools such as, VoiceThread, Top Hat Powerpoint and Kaltura.

 

 

 

 

Ask a learner to analyze information:  

Frame analytic questions to target relationships among concepts, ideas, and information.

Use of application questions

Use analytic questions to help the learner become conscious of his/her learning process and to learn the rules and principles that provide the foundation to reach a valid conclusion.

Key Crafting Words
  • Distinguish or Identify
  • What assumptions, motives or conclusions exist
  • Make a distinction
  • What is the premise
  • What ideas apply
  • What is the relationship between
  • What is the main idea or theme
  • What literary form is used
  • Implicit in this statement is
  • What is the function of
  • What statement is relevant
  • What does the author believe or assume
  • State the point of view
  • What inconsistencies or fallacies exist
  • What persuasive technique has been used
Technology and Rationale

Analysis asks the student to break information down into its parts and identify patterns and rules. It requires that students form assumptions and identify relationships. email, chat, and discussion provide online opportunities to examine students' analysis skills and model them to other students.

Use analytic online strategies so that all students have the opportunity to actively participate, contribute, and be heard.

Additional tools to consider would be; VoiceThread, Top Hat Powerpoint and Kaltura.

 

 

 

 

Challenge the student to synthesize information:  

Questions that challenge the student to organize and synthesize information. Frame synthesis questions in a way that encourages students to engage in creative and original thinking.

Use of synthesis questions

Use synthesis questions to ask the learner to incorporate integrated knowledge and combine elements into patterns not clearly visible before.

Key Crafting Words
  • Create, make, develop and choose
  • Do, tell
  • How would you test
  • Propose an alternative
  • Solve the following
  • Plan, design
  • Make up, compose, formulate
  • How else would you
  • State a rule
Technology and Rationale

Synthesis requires that students consider alternative possibilities and create new solutions. Technology can provide students with an educational environment that encourages their thought processes and exposes them to their classmates' ideas.

Use Web sites, listservs, and discussion spaces to share ideas and opinions and to respond and reflect on ideas. These experiences can serve as a catalyst for student creativity.

Additional tools to consider would be; VoiceThread, Top Hat Powerpoint and Kaltura.

 

 

 

 

Have the learner evaluate and make judgements:  

Frame evaluative questions to assess information acquisition and understanding. Ask the learner to appraise and defend their understanding during all levels of learning.

Use of evaluation questions

Use evaluative questions when you want the student to evaluate information according to a set of criteria and justify his/her belief.

Key Crafting Words 
  • Appraise
  • Judge
  • Critique
  • Defend
  • What are the fallacies, consistencies, or inconsistencies
  • Which is more important, moral, better, logical, valid, or appropriate
  • Find the errors
  • Compare
Technology and Rationale

Evaluation requires that the students have time to gather resources and reflect to support their opinions. A significant advantage is that online forums can give a voice to all students who may not necessarily be heard in the traditional classroom.  Tools to consider might be; VoiceThread, Top Hat Powerpoint and Kaltura.

Discussions can also be heated and emotional, but an online environment can help defuse potentially argumentative discourse.

Online Discussion Considerations

Select from the Online Discussion Considerations below to learn more.

Time Factors

Remember that out-of-class assignments involve time commitments from you and your students. Therefore, it's a good idea to carefully consider who will be doing what and how long it will take.

One very good method for clearly envisioning expectations throughout the course is to make a chart with a time line for the semester with columns on the chart indicating in-class and out-of-class assignments and the time expectations for you and your students. Also, this method allows you to see how your assignments are distributed throughout the course. You can share the time line with your students but sharing your course summary Links to an external site. on your course syllabus page.

Some students tend to procrastinate, so make them aware of deadlines and grade dependence. For example, as part of an assignment, students could be required to make two responses a week.

Managing the Discussion

Tips for managing your online discussions include:

  • Praise students for high quality responses via e-mail, to the discussion group, or directly to the student. Acknowledge students by name. (See the section "Responding and Facilitating.")
  • Structure some assignments so that all students must be online during the same day-long or two-day time period (not necessarily asynchronous). This helps the discussion to remain current.
  • Be sure to relate class work to online discussions and interactions. Make sure the discussion is essential to help learners achieve course goals.
  • Build into your questions some guidelines to help formulate student responses (e.g., ask the learners to explain their reasoning or position and provide examples).
Online vs. Face to Face Discussions
  • Online discussions are primarily text-based. Discussions may lack immediate responses and significant points may be lost because of lack of vocal emphasis or body language.
  • Allow time for reading and responding to discussion threads.
  • Make clear the response or turnaround time for discussion and collaboration.
Knowledge of Discussion Tool
  • Make sure students have access to the tool before the assignment starts. This allows you to avoid problems after discussions have started.
  • Allow for an easy, very basic introductory assignment to prepare the students for future discussions. This could be a simple introduction and/or posting.
  • Have resources available for students who may like documentation/explanation of the tool.
Student teams
  • Establish teams and allow students to work together to post a final revised response. This results in fewer messages for you to read.
  • Consider size and number of teams. Try to have no more than seven students on a team.
  • Create clear guidelines for collaborating online and working in teams.
Outcomes

Through the use of online questioning strategies you can expect the following benefits:

  • More productive in-class discussions
  • Deeper and more reflective student responses
  • Improved participation and accountability since everyone has an opportunity to participate and be heard
  • An easily accessible record of the discussion thought processes
  • Time for more personal student contact
Contact among class members

Online discussions allow for various types of contact:

  • Professor to students
  • Students to students
  • Students to professor

 

Actively engaging students in critical thinking is at the heart of the questioning process. To foster this process, we must guide and support the learners' critical thinking.

There are two basic types of critical thinking strategies: those that enhance the focusing of ideas and those that extend patterns of thought.

Strategies for Focusing Discussion

By identifying the direction that was taken during a class discussion, you can assess and redirect the conversational thread. Identify the central and divergent themes in order to:

  • Refocus and redirect divergent dialogue back to discussion points by citing or paraphrasing other student comments.
  • Interconnect divergent thoughts and mention how these ideas are connected and related to the discussion thread through the use of alternative perspectives.
  • Summarize conversations.

Act as a clearinghouse to sort and prioritize thoughts and points through:

  • Using metaphor or analogy.
  • Using narrative dialogue to provoke thought.
  • Modeling response/discussion techniques.

Identify Main Points

  • Point out how student comments have touched on key issues.
  • Point out the areas that were not covered completely and need to be explored further.
  • Compare and contrast response points.
  • Make replies meaningful and personal.

Strategies for Deepening Discussions

Question for inquiry in order to:

  • Probe more deeply, question assumptions, and push thinking.
  • Investigate ambiguity.
  • Explore opinions and understand the author's perspective.
  • Support thinking "outside the box."

Connect points in order to gain a more global view. Also,

  • Refrain from judgment and suspend belief/disbelief.
  • Offer new ideas that challenge mainstream thought.
  • Remain neutral when searching for solutions or causes.

Encourage multiple points of view by

  • Searching for different points of view and validating differing opinions.
  • Modeling solicitation of alternative perspectives and opinions.
  • Challenging thoughts that appear to be one sided through the use of alternative points of view.

Allow students to lead the discussion

  • Have students summarize the prior week's responses.
  • Assign a group to be the experts on a topic or section. Have them post a question for that week's discussion and lead the discussion. Toward the end of the class discussion, have the discussion leaders summarize and combine points for their classmates.
  • Have a student start the discussion on a topic or chapter.
  • Assign one student to be the discussion leader for a week or topic.

Promote Interaction

  • Have students take sides on an issue and defend their positions. Poll students in class or online on a particular question or issue. Then have students support their positions in the threaded discussion area.
  • Post a number of questions relating to a chapter or unit of study. Have students work in small groups on these questions. Each group will then post their final results to the discussion list.

Guide Students

  • Use online chat to hold a review session.
  • Post a weekly discussion question related to course readings prior to the in-class discussion. You can use comments from the online discussion to generate in-class discussion. Students will be more prepared for the face-to-face discussion.
  • Place preview or review questions or concepts in the online discussion area. Have students submit a response in their own words (not a quote from the book). This allows you to see the students' level of understanding.
  • Have students identify what parts of the assignment are the most confusing to them.
  • For individual assignments, have students review postings from the discussion forum and outline the points and themes that were discussed. Select a few good examples and post these for the class.
  • Post a model answer to the discussion as a conclusion to your discussion thread.

For information on using rubrics in Discussion Boards please visit the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence Links to an external site.