Can We Talk Using Discussions to Promote Learning in Online Courses

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Can We Talk? Using Discussions to Promote
Learning in Online Courses

• Carol Reid, RN, MS
• Century College

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Goals

• Participants will successfully integrate
  discussions into an online course.
• Participants will develop discussion questions
  that promote integrity in an online course.
• Participants will develop a rubric for grading
  online discussions.

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Impediments in Online Classes

• Missing the human connection that occurs in a
  face to face class
• Body language
• Eye contact
• Tone of voice
• Community is not obvious
• Independent learners
• Asynchronous attendance
• Freedom to do the work on own schedule

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What can we do?

• Create opportunities for students to connect to
  each other
• Student lounge
• Introductions
• May use an ice breaker such as Kingdomality
• http//www.cmi-lmi.com/kingdomality.html
• Introduce yourself first

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Student Lounge

• This is a place to "hang out" with other students
  in the course. Share highlights and lowlights of
  the day or week with your peers. This is the
  place you can talk to others much like you would
  before and after class, or during breaks. The
  instructor will not be present in this discussion
  forum, it is designed for students.

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Introductions

• Begin by putting your name in the subject box.
• Then, tell us a little about yourself. Why are
  you taking this course? What are your educational
  goals? Why did you choose to take this course
  online?
• To reply to another student's introduction, click
  on the reply button and type your response, just
  as you would respond to someone in class.
• Your introduction and replies are worth 5 points.

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How would you respond to this introduction?

• Hello, My name is Zac.  I live in XXXXX, Mn.  I
  am 5' 2" tall and weigh aprox. 320 lbs.  My
  favorite pastimes include eating fried food,
  snacking on Little Debbie orange cupcakes, and
  watching the sunset.  My grandmother tells me I
  am a "real ladies man."  I am taking this course
  to fufill a gen. ed. requirement.  My educational
  goal is to be all I can be.  I decided to take
  this course online because the vending machines
  at Century don't carry Little Debbie orange
  cupcakes.  (I am very disappointed about
  that!!!)  If you happened to read this message in
  it's entirety, hopefully it provided a great deal
  of enlightment. God Bless and Amen, Zac

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Good Discussion Questions

• Differing viewpoints
• Will the students have these differing
  viewpoints? If not, assign members sides
• Provide sufficient background information or
  instructions on how to get the background
  information
• Make sure the students know why the question
  matters to them or the lesson

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General Discussion Outcomes

• What do you want the students to get out of the
  discussion?

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What do you want the students to get out of the
discussion?

• Application of knowledge
• Time on task
• Find and discuss available (web) resources
• Help each other learn
• Work collaboratively
• Address affective domain

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Encouraging Participation

• Plan due dates
• Assign points
• Do post to the discussion at critical times
• Dont post to the discussion if it seems to be
  going well or to see where the students will go
  with the discussion

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How does one create a good discussion question?
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How does one create a good discussion question?

• Give a scenario and ask questions related to the
  scenario
• Use a current event related to the content and
  ask questions related to the event

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Create a Discussion Question

• Think about a class you teach
• Decide on a topic to discuss
• Create a discussion question
• Share it with the person beside you
• Revise as needed
• Share it with the class

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Create a Discussion Question
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Grading Guidelines

• How many postings
• Quality of postings
• Use of outside resources
• Web pages
• Reliability of information
• Text or other resource
• Documentation of these resources
• Grammar/spelling/use of terminology
• Is this important to this discussion?
• Introductions and less formal discussions may not
  demand good english
• More formal discussion assignments could require
  appropriate grammar, spelling and terminology

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Grading Tips

• Allow sufficient time for students to complete
  (credit load)
• Set specific deadlines for postings
• Deadline 1 - initial substantive comment or
  answer to question
• Deadline 2 - replies to others
• Deadline 3 summary (if appropriate)

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Create a grading rubric

• How many points for the assignment?
• Criteria
• Exceptional
• Good
• Average
• Poor
• Unacceptable
• How many posts will it take to get the total
  points?

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Example Grading Criteria

• By Wednesday morning at 900 am, the leaders must
  post three questions or scenarios for discussion
  based on the assigned readings.
• Small group participation All group members are
  expected to participate in the small group
  discussion regarding the current topic content.
  In order to meet the course requirements for each
  current topic, you are expected to
• Post at least one substantive posting by Friday
  evening at 500 pm and
• Respond to at least 2 other postings by Monday
  evening at 500pm.
• Substantive is defined as a response which
  includes information synthesized from the
  readings included in the assignment combined with
  your own experiences and personal insights. In
  your comments, openly discuss how you would
  approach each sample situation or how you managed
  an example of your own.
• If all criteria are met, a pass grade will be
  given.

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Contact Information

• Carol Reid
• 651-773-1779
• carol.reid_at_century.edu