Things all basic discussion boards should have:
- Clear instructions
- Specific criteria for a specific purpose
- Limits - length of posts (lower and upper end) numbers of posts
- Provoking/provocative topic
- Opportunity for student to student interaction
- Define evaluation criteria
- Expectations for participation (due dates)
Things to make your basic discussion boards better:
- provide an inclass preview
- use media (graphics, images, audio)
- expectations for citation (minimum URL for web citations, images)
- initially private responses (write and submit your own before posting)
- student facilitation
- hyperlinks to other cites to use a reference/response
Three Major Items to Cover:
1) Setting up a good discussion board assignment.
The KEY: Putting instructions in the correct place - in your initial response.
No longer an issue with the new simplified discussion board template...!
2) Developing protocol that works.
Tips:
- Open-ended & debatable questions are best. Questions that require an informed opinion, argument, or evidence are best.
- Questions higher up on Bloom's Taxonomy are best. (Blooms Taxonomy)
- Controversial topics are good - with caution!
- Clear criteria is key: "Are your posts valid and succinct?"
- What determines if a post is valid?
- Quality and quantity of evidence, logical reasoning, organization, use of minimum quotes from resources, reasonable interpretations of points of view,
- What determines if posts are succinct or 'to the point'?
- minimum word requirements, maximum word requirements, minimum and maximum number of student responses, saying more with less.
- GUM - Proper grammar, Usage, and Mechanics must be assessed as well
- Clear instructions and guided practice is a must - what is a threaded discussion (asynchronous) and how is it different from a chat room (synchronous). How is it different from a freeform response question?
- School-wide policies with common Discussion Board Rubric perhaps??
3) Provide good feedback at the right time - this is tricky!
- Too much instructor feedback too early may stifle student-student interaction
- Too little will leave students feeling ignored and under-appreciated.
- Err on the side of too much!
- Make each post substantial and give strengths and areas for improvement.
- Okay to do a bulk message, but not to students' initial posts.
Helpful resources:
http://www.humboldt.edu/~bboard/instructor/tips/samplequestions.html
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~webctsup/faculty/manual/WebCT_DiscussionBoard_Tips-Pedagogy.pdf
http://tlt.suny.edu/originaldocumentation/library/cm/enhancediscussion.htm
http://www.distance.uvic.ca/faculty/planning.htm