The role of an instructor in the discussion boards is to keep the learning process going.
The strategies I use are to ask questions regarding their initial post; request getting applicable examples; provide real-life examples on the real world applicability; direct and guide the conversation to the concept being covered in the course content; and lastly provide additional reading on the topic.
Spot on, my friend! Like a business-person - hit them where it hurts, and THEN when you have their attention you can really help.
John
John,
I also will assign students an initial zero on an assignment as times to get their attention. For some students grades are the primary motivator. A zero on an assignment gets their attention quickly. Then when I have their attention we work through the specifics and I typically let them work it correctly. It is certainly an eye-opener.
Herbert Brown III
Oh well ... I don't have a great deal of tolerance for the entitlement mentality. If you want a good grade, you will work for it in my class. This means we must be willing to play "bad cop" sometimes. Like I tell parents - like it or not, YOU are in charge, and one cannot be in charge without asserting authority and ruffling feathers.
It is something very difficult to get learners to participate – there are those who simply post, then come back the last day of the week to reply to someone else, usually due to the requirements of the discussion requirements.
It is not always easy to get learners to become more interactive, but what I have found that helps a little, is that after week one, I look for those learners who exhibited the behavior I mentioned above. Then in week two, I reply to their first post, starting with their name, followed by a question. If they exhibit that particular behavior, week two will go by, however when they scan through the discussion boards on which one to reply (to make the weekly requirement) they will see my question to them. Then in week three, they may come back early than the last day of class to check if I have asked them a question again, even if I have not, they reply to someone else (this will meet the discussion requirements) but it does keep the discussion going, and others will respond to their response. I’ve found that I do have a lot more weekly posts and they are not simply occurring late Sunday night
I have used that too, but then this worsens the situation, starting with e-miails etc...
Hi Bennett
I will often in the first week post a message that reads something like this:
Hey everyone, read X's response, as it was a model of proper DQ responses - well-referenced, thoughtful, extensive in content, and well-supported with argument.
This is pretty effective for me.
The dentist analogy is FANTASTIC, as digging content from some students is worse than simply posting your own thoughts. In some cases, after a series of thoughtless and brief responses to my prodding, I simply give them a very poor grade on the discussion, which almost invariably makes a bigger impression than pleading with them!
I make it clear that I engage in and monitor the DQ forum rigorously. My grading reflects my high expectations. Students learn quickly that if they want to do well in my class, they MUST engage substantively and vigorously. Also, I make it a habit to question what each student says, probing them to think more carefully and deeply about their views - "Devil's advocate." I also try to inject controversy by challenging conventional wisdom.
I agree with the other comments about making it personal using names...this will give the students a sense they are not "lost" in an online environment and their contributions do mean something...the 2nd would be as the facilitator is to keep the topic and response going my asking addition questions...asking those probing questions again, will create an environment that makes the "student" feel as though they are in a live class.
We do make every attempt to write discussion questions that require a great deal of reflective thought. Our rubrics identify such things as word count minimums and application to help ensure reasonably substantive responses. As others have stated, I think the key to moving the discussion forward is instructor involvement. I am relatively new to teaching in the online environment and find this to be quite challenging--the tips I've gleaned from the posts have helped.
My role in the discussion is to model the behavior I want my students to follow. Demonstrate to them what is a substantial post. Demonstrate how often they can post. I will bring real-world discussions about topics and encourage them to share their personal experiences about the topic with their classmates. Also, I will encourage them to respond to classmates who have responded to their post.
What I find most helpful is to respond to students' posts by name. Once they understand I am "speaking" to them, they will answer my question, expand on that which then I reiterate to another student. Collaborative thinking takes off quickly with this strategy.
This is where you need to as a facilitator respond to their initial post and ask a follow up question that will "require" them to answer, in addition to posting to two other peers, for example.
I like that the students tend to address each other by name. This makes is easier for the instructor to know who said what and follow the flow of conversation better. Also better to address the student's involved - creating a mini group discussion. Thanks!
Particularly in smaller classes I will use an outside article and ask students to critique the article. What did they find useful in the content? Did they think it was well written? Why or why not? Would they recommend the article to others studying our current topic? Why or why not?
I always have two or three follow up questions the share throughout the week. I will ask questions to students regarding specific postings, and I love to share an outside link and ask students to read and comment. The best ones for follow up tend to be related articles with humor.
My role in the discussion is to encourage and foster a since of curiosity about the subject. This can be done by relating materials to them and their field of study. I like to use outside material to help them think about the situation in a different view. By asking them questions that are not too advance we can better help the students understand what we are asking them. I tend to use websites that they can visit and videos that they can watch to help with understanding the material.
Herbert,
I respond to students the way I would want an instructor to respond to me. "Be real" is my discussion motto.
A creative, personal, meaningful conversation can be the most influential communication a person has the entire week.
I usually approach the student's discussion comment with a positive response and then connect this to my 'story or lesson' followed by a sincere question.
I believe most students know if you are having a genuine conversation with them. If they know you are sincere, they will often respond as if in a conversation rather than as if they were 'being graded or critiqued'.
I ask a lot of follow up questions, and they often ask the student to provide more detail and connect their answers to the readings or course materials. I find that students will sometimes answer a question based on their general experience, but they have to be prompted to go beyond their, "well I think..." answer to engage with the actual evidence presented in the texts.
I also ask good questions. Sometimes discussion board questions can be boring or mundane. I spice up discussion questions by adding a twist or referring specifically to a controversial idea. That almost always forces students to move beyond the minimum requirements and really engage with the conversation.
Rebecca
