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Title: Using The Discussion Board: Making Life Easier for the Professor


1
Using The Discussion Board Making Life Easier
for the Professor
  • Strategies to increase student participation
  • Tips to mark discussion posts

Prepared by Dawn McBride, PhD (Educational
Psychology) Asst Professor at Zayed University,
United Arab Emirates dawn.mcbride_at_zu.ac.ae
2
Moving from talk chalk (passive learning)
By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
3
To multimedia teaching methods (active
learning)
online assignments
discussion boards (Bb)
video conf.
email
chatrooms (e.g., cultural exchanges)
powerpoint
By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
4
Info to share with students faculty new to
Bb What are Discussion Boards?
  • MANY ADVANTAGES!

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
5
Discussion Groups WHY?
  • 1. Self Directive
  • a) promotes collaborative learning
  • b) encourages active learning /
  • taking responsibility for learning

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
6
Discussion Groups WHY?
  • 2. Allows processing time
  • a) digest material
  • b) organize thoughts
  • c) critical thought application

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
7
Discussion Groups WHY?
  • 3. Increases organization
  • a) permanent record
  • b) organized by themes (threads)

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
8
Discussion Groups WHY?
  • Monitor student progress
  • provide/receive feedback
  • BONUS
  • End of term teaching evaluations

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
9
Five strategies to increase
discussion forum participation
By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
10
Strategies to increase discussion forum
participation
  • 1. Teach review How to use
  • Bb discussion forums
  • in-class demonstrations
  • e-tivities (Churchill, T. / Uni. of Leicester)
  • introductions build a learning community
  • Bb homework on day 1 3
  • class activity Evaluate /- past Bb postings

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
11
WWW Resources (these links are on your handout)
  • A handout for students on how to use Bb
  • A easy to read handout on how to use manage the
    Bb discussion forum
  • Bb Discussion Board sheets - computer screen
    pictures
  • Bb manual

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
12
Strategies to increase discussion forum
participation
  • 2. Constantly use Bb
  • post all course handouts in Bb
  • use announcement forum offer incentives for
    checking it
  • post exam mean score before returning the exams
    in class
  • answer logistical questions in a Q A
    forum

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
13
Dawns Q A FORUM
  • Q A Ask your questions here ) 
  • This is a forum for you to ask questions about
    the course course assignments careers etc. I
    will check this board 3x a week and when the
    traffic to the forum increases, I will check it
    every day.Feel free to ask any questions you
    want. You can post your questions anonymously (no
    names). Peace,Dawn

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
14
TIP Bb use
  • Be very active in the beginning
  • providing reinforcement
  • vs. stealing the show
  • checkin with the low posters
  • show your face 2x a day
  • then gradually shift to 2x a wk

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
15
Strategies to increase discussion forum
participation
  • 3. Use Incentives
  • post anonymously for sensitive issues
  • points toward a grade
  • use bonus points prizes
  • exchange a class

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
16
3. Use Incentives continued
  • use Bb stats
  • Game
  • Posting frequency
  • exam questions drawn from Bb forums
  • create coffee or water cooler social forum
  • Other ideas ????

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
17
Strategies to increase discussion forum
participation
  • 4. Use Bb in assignments
  • Bb student of the week (see handout)
  • follow up after student presentations (see
    handout)
  • summarize evaluate postings (see handout)
  • use effective questions (see handout)
  • assign roles (e.g., conversa-color, see
    Persell)
  • Others?

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
18
Strategies to increase discussion forum
participation.
  • 5. KISS principle for marking
  • replying to postings
  • keep postings short (e.g., 100-150 words)
  • spelling/grammar - include?
  • mark everyday vs. at the end
  • set easy to manage criteria for posting

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
19
TIPS FOR MARKING FORUM POSTINGS
  • 1. Facilitate dont take over!
  • 2. Decide what and when to mark
  • 3. Elicit opinions and personal
  • experiences easier to mark ?
  • 4. Score reflects average
  • 5. Use simple rubrics

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
20
Need help?
  • IT staff IT mentors
  • WWW search
  • List Server discussions http//is.asu.edu/instruc
    tion/faq/usingBLKBRD-L.html
  • PD conferences ?
  • Books A great book for professors
  • Collison, G. et al. (2000). Facilitating online
    learning. Madison, WI Atwood.

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
21
Journals - FYI
  • Percell, C., (2004). Focused online discussions,
    moments of difficulty student understanding.
    Social Science Computer Review, 22(2), 197-209.
  • Publish your IT/Bb teaching ideas!!!
  • - Review of Educational Research
  • - Journal of Higher Education
  • - Journal on Excellence in College
  • Teaching

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
22
THANK YOU Your feedback, comments questions
are always welcome
  • Contact Information
  • Current dawn.mcbride_at_zu.ac.ae
  • Permanent dawnlorraine_at_yahoo.com

By Dawn McBride, Oct 28, 2004
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