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Anyone can set up a forum for online class discussions. Faculty who maintain "direct editing" FrontPage websites can use the Discussion Web Wizard to create threaded discussion areas on their websites. The instructions for setting up a discussion web will vary depending on your version of FrontPage, so check for online tutorials at Microsoft’s FrontPage website. For a one-topic (that is, non-threaded) discussion, you can go to QuickTopic and create an "instant" discussion board -- FREE, and in about one minute!
Discussion Ground Rules
When establishing your ground rules for online class discussions, keep in mind that to maximize the experience, all participants must feel free to contribute and know that they will be treated with respect by you and the other participants. Use gender neutral language unless appropriate to the discussion. No one person should be allowed to dominate the discussion(s), including you! Your role is to guide the discussions into higher level thinking experiences.
Establish email etiquette rules and have the students look at various Netiquette sites. Special attention should be given to the importance of the subject line in an email. This will help keep threaded discussions on track.
Set limits on message length. Try to keep it under 3 paragraphs. This will keep participants from losing focus while trying to read lengthy posts, and also facilitate participation since the students won't feel obligated to write long responses.
Discourage "me, too!" or "I agree" posts. Ask students to explain why they agree or disagree.
Instructor Feedback
The
timeliness of your feedback plays a critical role in the success
of online discussions; however, resist the temptation to jump right in
-- allow for student responses first. Some instructors
fall into the trap of trying to respond to every single post made on the
discussion group. You don't respond to every single comment a student
makes during a class discussion, so don't feel you must online. In fact,
doing so may intimidate some of your students.
When you do respond to contributors, paraphrase what they have
said before adding new ideas to the discussion. This lets the participants
know that they've been heard, and also that you're out there. You should
ensure that your presence is felt in the group so the students
don't feel like they're in a self-taught class.
Redirect comments and post questions that explore a student’s answer.
End your response with an open-ended question to encourage more discussion.
Explicitly validate contributions and ideas that contribute to
the stated instructional objectives. Discussion groups are also a good
way to encourage students to use course vocabulary correctly.
Nip Potential Problems in the Bud
You
should actively solicit contributions from those less active students
who 'lurk' by directing questions to them. You can also email them to
remind them of the importance of participation, your desire for input/feedback
and to determine why they aren’t participating. Work at developing the
ability to read between the lines in the student's posts so you can recognize
and address emotional stress, hostility, or subversive behavior before
it becomes a problem.
Finally, THINK BEFORE YOU POST! Remember to use humor carefully. The lack of verbal and visual cues can cause what were intended to be humorous comments to be badly misinterpreted.
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Ready to start an online discussion? Click on the compass to go to QuickTopic, register, and click on 'Start Topic.' Click on 'Invite Readers' and QuickTopic will send a message to the email account you gave when you registered. Go check your email account. Forward QuickTopic's message to your students -- it's that easy!
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Continue with Feedback Methods
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