Reshaping Discussion Boards - Module Overview

Overview:

Online Discussions are one of the few reliable, proven formats for social interaction in an online classroom. A good discussion can clearly and effectively assess student understanding. It can stimulate personal reflection, expose students to diverse viewpoints and opinions, and lead to the co-creation of new knowledge.

As Flower Darby and others have pointed out, written discussions are in many ways inherently more equitable than a lot of other online assessments:

• They don’t have heavy internet bandwidth requirements.
• They’re asynchronous, and can accommodate students with challenging work schedules or other obligations.
• Students aren’t required to share their face, voice, or physical surroundings.
• Students have an opportunity to privately reflect on their answers and responses before being asked to publicly demonstrate their knowledge or opinions.
• Students that speak English as a second language, students that are shy or deal with social anxiety, and other students that may not be comfortable in live discussions are more likely to participate in written discussions.

However, there are challenges to quality online discussions which can lead to poor student outcomes if not addressed. Without effective instructor prompts, discussions tend to be bland and superficial, and peer replies turn into repetitive busywork. Without transparent expectations and moderation, discussions of difficult topics can become polarized or hostile.

In this module, we’re going to explore some best practices for creating effective, inclusive, equitable online discussions.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify strategies for creating inclusive discussion boards.
• Create transparent and inclusive discussion prompts and instructions.