In a traditional classroom, discussions are usually a key aspect of learning. In my high school classroom, I often set aside full class periods to discuss and engage with students regarding key concepts we were studying. Sometimes these discussions would swerve in one direction or another, bringing up other important ideas that students were interested in and that related to the course materials. As a history and government teacher, I could quickly find myself talking about another topic entirely, while still helping students to grasp and understand the concepts we were studying.
In an online classroom, the art of discussion is an entirely different beast. Too often, students complete the minimum amount of work necessary and do not truly engage with the material. This leads to less concrete learning overall.
In most online courses, the responsibility for facilitating the course discussions – and thereby facilitating the majority of student learning throughout the course – is on the instructor. It is up to the instructor to not only explain and enhance difficult concepts but to also showcase their expertise regarding the subject and relate the material to real world situations. I will be the first to admit that oftentimes this can be easier said than done.
Having a complex and dynamic discussion question to begin with is a great place to start, but this is not also within the control of the instructor. If the discussion question does not require enough outside thought and analysis, instructors should remember that it is up to them to probe for more information and to coax more complex thought out of their students.
While some instructors tend to hang back in the discussion boards – either due to fear of stifling any conversation that students may have with each other – or perhaps due to laziness – the fact is that students want to see their instructor’s posts and interact with their instructors. Students are much more likely to read a post by an instructor than to read all of the posts of their peers – especially if their colleagues’ posts are all basically saying the same thing. There are many, many ways for instructors to engage in the discussion forums without giving students answers or stifling discussion.
Instructors should set the expectation that students should read all posts the instructor makes within the discussion boards and that they should address any direct questions the instructor presents them with.
In my online classroom, I use my discussion boards in a variety of ways in order to meet the needs of students. I do my best to respond to each student within the discussion board each week, to ask dynamic and probing questions, to relate the material to concepts the student can understand, to explain and elaborate on course materials, and to follow-up within the discussion board when I ask a student a direct question.
If this sounds like a great deal of work, it’s because it is. However, the discussion boards are a vital element of the online classroom and where I have found the majority of student learning takes place. If I am not engaged in the discussion, students are not going to gain the knowledge they need moving forward.
About the Author
Jamie Weitl is a WAHM teaching for several online universities and raising three precocious little ones. In her spare time she enjoys writing, baking, and running. For more info, see my Google Plus Profile.
