On its face, an asynchronous conversation conducted via a discussion board may not seem as personal or immediate as a conversation that takes place in a more traditional classroom. However, an online discussion can be just as spirited, enlightening, and engaging as one taking place in the face-to-face environment — if it is facilitated well.
How can you, as an instructor, help students gain the full benefit of discussions in your online course? In McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers, contributors Erping Zhu and Matthew Kaplan offer these 10 tips to create a comfortable atmosphere for online discussion.
Instructors: Ten Tips for Effective Online Discussions
- Be an active participant
- Bring your own experiences to the discussion
- Use personal anecdotes when appropriate
- Do not dominate a discussion or let a few students dominate it
- Challenge students without silencing them
- Ask questions at different levels (e.g., knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation)
- Paraphrase a message if it is not clear
- Encourage active student participation
- Energize the online discussion if needed (e.g., using role plays, simulations, and pros and cons)
- Bring closure to an online discussion (e.g., summarizing learning points) (p. 248)
Reference
- Svinicki, Marilla and McKeachie, Wilbert J. 2011. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 13th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage.