Engaging Learners in Discussion
I love to challenge and stretch students ability to participate in the learning process. I will continue to do that through the unline process.
One of the greatest challenges I have found in facilitating discussions is that many learners simply post the minimum requirements and once they have met the expectations of the discussion, they disengage and don't bother to come back into the discussion to extend the dialog on the topic.
What will be your role in discussions? How will you encourage substantive participation? What strategies will you use to extend learner’s thinking and keep the discussion
focused on the intended outcomes?
Hello Tina,
I agree with many others who have posted in this discussion. I grade their discussion board assignments with substantive feedback regarding the answers to the original assignment. But I add feedback regarding the students' responses to their peers in class. If a student does not post appropriate responses to others, I will let them know.
During live chats (synchronous that are archived for later viewing/listening), I thoroughly go over the upcoming discussion board assignments. I also post announcements about the assignments at least once a week.
One related area in which I have to improve is responding to postings in discussion boards. Although I respond to a few students during the class, I do not post many discussion board notes. I grade the students on their postings so I do not want to provide too much information prior to grading. But this course has made me realize I can encourage more participation without providing too much feedback in the discussion boards. I can promote more responses by asking throught-provoking questions.
Dr. Stephen W. Volz (Steve)
That is disappointing:-( Tina
I also changed my grading rubric to include this and you should have read my post class evaluations...the students hated it and didn't understand the value of it. It made me very sad.
Hi Kate, that is an excellent strategy! Tina
Hi Kim, we created a new scoring guide for discussions, so learners now have to include evidence or references to support their point of view and to achieve the most points they have to have extended the dialog by posting early and reply to posts back to them and to other learners. Tina
Synchronous learning is effective and should be used slightly in courses. Asynchronous learning should be used throughout the course where students can post an intelligent, lengthy response to the instructor in the course. Instructors will have time to respond back to the student with feedback on quality responses. Asynchronous must be most effective because this training certificate that we are completing now at CEE is a threaded asynchronous learning tool. So based on the effectiveness on asynchronous learning is the best route to go from my expert opinion including the way this course is designed and used by The Center for Excellence in Education. Point proven!
Absolutely, that is a challenge. I start by realizing that is what I would do also. I start by using the feedback. I clearly convey taht I am looking for a deep and thorough treatment of the DQ and that meeting minimal requirements results in minimal grades. Good grades require interaction. I follow that by replying to the students with application oriented results. I try to tie the DQ to thier area of expertise or background. I hope this will entice them to engage further and share their expertise.
Dr. Stavredes,
I find that if I reply to student's posts and ask them questions they will be more forthcoming. I also will post a "devil's advocate" post, which really heats up the postings, and breaks through the log jam of minimal responses. After I do that I find that students loosen up and really start talking to each other.
Kate
I also have this problem ("... learners simply post the minimum requirements and once they have met the expectations of the discussion, they disengage and don't bother to come back into the discussion to extend the dialog on the topic")
I try to post a question directed at something they wrote. It may be something as simple as "can you give me an example of ..., or come back with a response playing devil’s advocate. I may also ask them to back up what they have posted. For me the bigger problem is just getting them to own what they learning. To dig a little, so asking them to provide a reference to back up their point of view can be very challenging. Unfortunately the bottom line is that unless I deduct points they often will just ignore my comments and put in minimal effort.
When I am facilitating discussions, I always think of some interesting facts and intriguing information to share that will pique the students' interest and allow them to delve deeper into the course material with their own research. As they begin to look for answers to my probing questions, they come to understand the material better and also become excited to share what they have learned from their discoveries.
Thanks for the clarification Michelle. We do the same thing using the Paul Elder Model of Critical Thinking to support our interactions with learners in discussions. Tina
Hi Tina,
I don’t' necessarily have the learners use the system. I use higher level questions for the discussion boards in hopes that the discussion will be more interesting. I have found that when I have used questions that have clear answers, the discussion stalls. If I use questions that make the learner think, the discussion tends to carry on very well.
Hi Michelle, can you expand on how you have learners use Bloom's Taxonomy? Thanks. Tina
I feel my role in any discussion is to act more as a guide. I try to guide the students through the material and keep them on track. I try to encourage substantive participation in a few ways. I publish my grading rubric beforehand so the students can see what is expected of them. This way they don't go into the discussion portion of the course "flying blind." I ask questions that follow Bloom's taxonomy and I choose topics that may be slightly controversial. If a student feels passionate and there is no clear cut right or wrong answer, their post will be substantive. To extend the learner's thinking, I weave questions throughout the discussion geared towards furthering the discussion and guiding the discussion toward my intended outcome. I like to use open ended questions that force the learner to list more then a yes or not type of answer. At the end of the discussion I post a wrap up post that states the intended outcome if it has not already been stated. I leave them with some parting thoughts that they can continue to think about as well.
Hi Brian, we do the same thing in our discussions. The goal of faculty interactions is to help students reach the intended outcomes of the discussion, so they use a variety of strategies to stretch the student's thinking. Tina
I am a moderator to the discussion. I encourage substantive discussion by asking follow up questions or asking people to clarify their remarks. Since I am a health care provider, I can offer practical knowledge of the subject in question and ask clinical thinking type questions to further the student's knowledge.
Hi Kimberly, I am very impressed with the time you take with your students to ensure they are engaged and learning!! Tina
Asking for examples is very effective. I have found that providing examples with key questions can generate more discussion participation as well.
