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Discussions: Creating and Facilitating Online Discussions

Discussions: Creating and Facilitating Online Discussions

Owned by Liam Mason (Unlicensed)
Oct 01, 2021
5 min read

  • Introductions

  • Poll

  • Purposes of Discussions

  • Starting with Questions

  • Importance of PICA

  • Discussion Structure Examples

  • Facilitation Techniques

  • Things That Frustrate Me

  • Tips for Happy Faculty

  • Q&A

Get ready. 

Here it comes. 

Brace yourself.

Wise, Alyssa, Marzieh Saghafian, and Poornima Padmanabhan. “Towards More Precise Design Guidance: Specifying and Testing the Functions of Assigned Student Roles in Online Discussions.” Educational Technology Research & Development 60.1 (2012): 55-82. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 July 2014.

Rempel, Hannah Gascho, and Paula S. McMillen. “Using Courseware Discussion Boards to Engage Graduate Students in Online Library Workshops.” Internet Reference Services Quarterly 13.4 (2008): 363-380. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 30 July 2014.

Kui Xie. “What Do the Numbers Say? The Influence of Motivation and Peer Feedback on Students’ Behaviour in Online Discussions.” British Journal of Educational Technology 44.2 (2013): 288-301. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 July 2014.

—. “Higher-Level Knowledge Construction in Asynchronous Online Discussions: An Analysis of Group Size, Duration of Online Discussion, and Student Facilitation Techniques.” Instructional Science 39.3 (2011): 303-319. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 July 2014

Hew, Khe, and Wing Cheung. “Audio-Based Versus Text-Based Asynchronous Online Discussion: Two Case Studies.” Instructional Science 41.2 (2013): 365-380. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 July 2014.

Gao, Fei, Tianyi Zhang, and Teresa Franklin. “Designing Asynchronous Online Discussion Environments: Recent Progress and Possible Future Directions.” British Journal of Educational Technology 44.3 (2013): 469-483. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 July 2014.

Darabi, Aubteen, and Li Jin. “Improving the Quality of Online Discussion: The Effects of Strategies Designed Based on Cognitive Load Theory Principles.” Distance Education 34.1 (2013): 21-36. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 July 2014.

Blackmon, Stephanie J. “Outcomes of Chat and Discussion Board Use in Online Learning: A Research Synthesis.” Journal of Educators Online 9.2 (2012): ERIC. Web. 30 July 2014.

Beckett, Gulbahar H., Carla Amaro-Jiménez, and Kelvin S. Beckett. “Students’ Use of Asynchronous Discussions for Academic Discourse Socialization.” Distance Education 31.3 (2010): 315-335. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 July 2014.

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.  - Voltaire

My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions. - Peter Drucker

We thought that we had the answers, it was the questions we had wrong. - Bono

  • Brunner

  • Ciaderrello

  • Costa

  • Gorley

  • Wiederhold

  • McKeachie

  • Wiggins and McTighe

  • Oh my!

Marshall and Rossman (1989, 2016)

  • Descriptive

  • Exploratory

  • Explanatory

  • Emancipatory

Cam (2006) Quadrants

  • Textual v Intellectual

  • Open v Closed

Let’s Discuss

  • Looking at your course(s), what types of questions would be most appropriate for your content and outcome?

  • Demonstrate

    • Content knowledge

    • Thought process

  • Build 

    • Community

      • Autobiography

      • Portrait

      • Interview

    • Consensus

  • Reflect

  • Practice (student-led)

    • Facilitate

    • Give feedback 

  • Q&A

  • Looking at your course(s), what is your desired purpose for the discussion?

  • Prompt

    • Background

    • Prompt/Proposition

    • Question

  • Instructions

    • Length

    • Timing

    • Formality (Netiquette)

    • Replies

    • Resources

  • Criteria

    • Feedback

    • Grading

      • Expectations

      • Content

      • Rubric

  • Advice

    • Tips

    • Tricks

Let’s Discuss

  • What PICA are you most concerned about? How can you design the experience to reduce the concern?

Activities (abridged):

  • Museum Walk

    • Various images in different threads

    • Students reply with observations, responses, emotions, etc.

    • Replies generated by having to arrive at conclusion or presentable idea

  • Identify case

  • Assign roles based on the five steps in case analysis

  • Replies scrutinize each response to the five steps

  1. Identify the most important facts surrounding the case.

  2. Identify the key issue or issues.

  3. Specify alternative courses of action.

  4. Evaluate each course of action.

  5. Recommend the best course of action.

  • Run-On Story

    • Write one sentence

    • Reply adds one more

    • A-Z, Z-A, etc. 

  • Question the Question

    • Generate X number of questions

    • Replies are to refine and organize

    • Filter questions to 3-4 most relevant 

  • The End in Mind

    • Identify Problem

    • First reply identifies the final step or milestone before success

    • Each subsequent reply adds one step

    • One student is responsible for compiling

    • Further replies used to negotiate steps

  • X Minute Write 

  • Peer Review

  • Reply to Self

  • Replies used to organize, student generated content

    • Muddiest Point

    • Clearest Point

    • My Takeaways

  • Point-Counterpoint

  • Anywhere in the World but Here

  • History Repeats Itself

  • Delphi(ish) Technique

    • Successive rounds of identifying and rank ideas

  • Old Reliable

    • You ask it

    • They answer it

Let’s Discuss

  • What types of activities match your content and outcomes? How is the activity influenced by the type of question being asked? Does it even matter?

  • Individual Response

    • 1:1

    • Probing questions

    • High contact, interaction

    • Plan for repeated responses

    • Opportunity for individual

      • feed back 

      • feed up

      • feed forward

  • Summarized Response

    • Funneling

      • Pass Day

        • Group commonalities

        • Group differences

        • Probing

      • Deep Day

        • Summarizing

  • “I have an iron-clad discussion rubric”

    • Translation: “I’ve seen Bigfoot”

  • Too much emphasis on following directions not quality of content

  • Treat “followed instructions” as binary C/IC

  • Describe qualities of the content

  • Consider different rubrics for different discussions

    • Many are written for the post and reply model

Let’s Discuss

  • What facilitation are you most concerned about? How can you take action to reduce the concern?

  • Students who eMail with their replies

    • WQDYH

  • Attaching Word doc as a reply

    • Uncheck the box

  • “I agree” or the like

    • Nip it fast with a zero (0)

  • Misconception that doing the minimum is an A

    • “Get used to your B”

  • A good discussion with 30 individual replies

    • Funnel

    • Play matchmaker

    • Make groups

  • Many students saying the same thing

    • “Pay to play” setting

    • Better question design

    • More probing questions

  • Discussion that focus more on following instructions

Let’s Discuss

  • What upsets you about discussions? How can you make positive steps to change the results?

  • Set aside time to reply

    • Set boundaries on your replies

  • Preemptive announcements or group replies to reduce confusion

  • Have FAQ and point students to it

  • Teach students about your process and expectations

  • Discourage eMail

    • Use “what questions do you have?” forum

Let’s Discuss

  • What about faculty workload and discussions?  What do you know? What do you want to know?

    • Past

    • Present 

    • Future

  • Difficulty refining their own ideas

    • Not just regurgitating the text

    • “Make a claim and defend it”

  • Difficulty with extended discussion

    • Not just “answer it and move on”

    • “Embrace the grind”

  • Difficulty with dialogue

    • Easier to monologue

    • Can be awkward with emotional topics

Let’s Discuss

  • How will you design and implement your discussion to [combat, reduce, overcome] student difficulties?

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