A New Look at Managing Discussions
Discussion forums are ubiquitous in online classes. A real benefit of online discussions is that afford every student the opportunity to participate. Like any tool, they can be used in a variety of ways:
- Facilitate class introductions
- Monitor student understanding of key concepts
- Verify reading assignments or pre-work completed
- Engage students in a topic
- Activate prior learning
- Promote student reflection
- Foster collaboration & cooperation
- Stimulate debate
- Encourage meta-cognition
- Support peer review
- Advance critical thinking
Guiding Questions
- What are different tools and strategies I can use to manage my class?
- How can I apply them in my classroom?
- Where can I go to learn more?
What's in this Handbook?
- Overview
- Role of Instructor
- Role of Student
- The Ice Breaker
- Selecting Topics
- Discussion Forum Models
- Managing Discussions
- Facilitating Discussions
- Video Discussions
- Other Tips
- Resources
- References
- Example Rubric