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