As an online instructor and current graduate student in an online program, discussion boards and college discussion boards are part of my daily routine. As an instructor, I have found these very valuable to create a community of learners in my classes and to develop the conversation amongst students that sometimes is missing in the online setting. Additionally, I have had robust discussions with fellow Ph.D. students in discussion boards used by my professor.
On the contrary, I have also had tedious assignments to comment on a certain number of discussion posts with no real aim or purpose. When this happens, the authenticity of discussions completely disappears, and students lack engagement. When creating discussion boards, there are ways to keep them authentic and beneficial as if you were in the physical classroom settings.
Relevancy
First, be sure to make the discussion board relevant to the topic at hand. Do not make it busy work just to ensure that your students are doing “something” in the online world. Do not just ask students to give their opinions on a reading every time. Change up the point of the discussion board to increase interest and authentic participation.
Assign Small Groups
Another idea to create a class atmosphere in the discussion board is to make small groups before the question/assignment is posted. Then, the students do not just scroll through the posts and randomly pick one or two to respond to. They will look at their group members posts and “discuss” their points of view with one another. Students will feel more interested and get to know more about each other and their viewpoints.
Survey Your Students Background
Another great tip to improve discussion board assignments is to survey your students at the beginning of the year. Ask them what their experiences have been with discussion boards and what has and has not worked. Not only will you get new ideas on how to use discussion boards, you may find out that a way that you have always used discussion boards does not work for your group of students.
Change It Up
Finally, change it up. Do not always ask students to post three sentences and then comment on two other students’ posts.
- Ask students to video record their responses
- Allow them to post audio comments
- Encourage posting images or memes
You want students to be interested and engaged in discussion boards. Be sure to break up the monotony of discussion boards by changing the format as much as possible.
Benefits of Discussion Boards
Online learning should not be a solo endeavor. Professors and teachers should strive to create opportunities for authentic learning and discussing amongst students.
Can Mimic Class Discussions Virtually
Discussion boards should and can mimic classroom discussions. Students should have the opportunity to ask questions of the professor and each other. They should feel comfortable and confident to challenge other ideas posted. Discussion boards can help clarify confusing readings or topics. Classroom discussions should not be thrown to the wayside just because a class is in the online world.
Can Be Done Remotely
Additionally, online discussion boards can be done from anywhere. Students can access them on their phones, tablets, and computers. Decide on the formality needed for posts ahead of time and express that expectation to students. If you want a post to mock a class discussion, then perhaps, the formality of posts is not that high. However, if you want readings cited, be sure to let your students know.
Promotes Collaboration and Communication
Another benefit of discussion boards for students is that they promote collaboration and communication amongst students. Through these boards, students may find a core group of classmates that they then work with and study with outside of class. They may find students that have the same interests as them. The promotion of communication from discussion boards is really the most important. Learning, in any environment, should involve sharing ideas and listening to others.
Promote Deeper Thinking
Make sure that communication is open and flowing in your class discussion boards.
Discussion boards also have the potential to force deeper thinking among students. You can challenge the status quo and get your students thinking by posing thought provoking statements and questions related to your topics. Students can be challenged to dig deeper into their thinking and research through discussion boards. Teachers and professors need to create opportunities to get to that deeper thinking.
We also want to ensure that our students are seeing things from different perspectives. Find ways to incorporate differing opinions on topics so that students have a chance to think about both sides and formulate their own thoughts.
Discussion boards are a vital part of online learning. They must be as authentic and true to classroom discussions for students to really benefit from them. Involving your students in discussions creates a true sense of community in a class and that is when the real learning takes place.
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