Plan discussions
You can use discussions—both in class and online (in myCourses)—to encourage students to:
Engage with course content
Exchange ideas with peers
Practice expressing ideas in preparation for assignments
Reflect on and develop responses
Develop interpersonal connections
Stay on track with course content[1]
Foster productive and meaningful discussions
The following suggestions are intended to help you plan and implement productive and meaningful discussions.
Planning
Consider how discussions will support the learning outcomes you have set for your course.
Consider what group size will be most effective to support the learning outcomes: whole class discussions, small group discussions, or a mix throughout the term are all possible.
Articulate your expectations for participation by providing student with explicit instructions that include, for example:
the type of intellectual engagement (e.g., building on peers’ ideas; providing evidence for claims; asking and answering questions)
if online in myCourses:
the number of posts
the length and format of posts
the opening and closing dates for each discussion
Set simple and consistent expectations about students’ responsibilities so student can focus on the substance of what they need to do rather than the how and when.[2]
If online in myCourses: Include example posts along with the instructions so students can see what they need to do.
Allow students multiple opportunities to participate so they can develop their skill with this type of engagement.
Give discussion assignments a name in the course outline that captures what you hope students will gain from participating. For example, rather than “Online Participation” or “Online Discussion,” consider names such as “Community knowledge building” or “Critiques of author claims.”
Integrate discussions into the overall course content. If online in myCourses, link discussion forums to appropriate modules.
Assessment and feedback:
Consider assigning a grade to provide extrinsic motivation for participation.
Let students know how their discussion participation will be assessed (see item 5.5 in McGill’s Policy on Assessment of Student Learning). Some considerations:
In myCourses, you can link a rubric to discussions.
You can allow students to select their “best” contributions for assessment (see Discussion Participation Portfolio).
Students can provide each other with anonymous feedback on discussion posts in myCourses by using the Five-star or Up Vote/Down Vote Rating Schemes in myCourses.
You can grade students’ discussion contributions for quality (e.g., thought-provoking) and/or for task completion (e.g., 1 mark for simply participating).
Implementing
Encourage productive and meaningful student participation:
Link the brief Getting the Most Out of myCourses Discussion Forums video to myCourses and encourage students to watch it.
Enhance active participation with strategies and sample phrases found under Moderating discussions.
If online in myCourses, remind students to look at the example posts you provided with the instructions.
Pose questions that are open-ended (no single right answer), meaningful, and debatable[4] so that discussion is truly merited.
Provide discussion prompts in a variety of formats, such as text, images, video, and audio.
Clarify the roles of all those involved in moderating discussions:
Will your role involve posing questions? Intervening if the conversation goes off topic or becomes disrespectful? Answering questions?
What will the Teaching Assistant’s role involve?
What is students’ role? For example, students can be responsible collectively for keeping the conversation going; individual students can be responsible for moderating on a rotation basis; or one student can be responsible for starting the discussion and another for summarizing it.[5]
Moderating discussions
Discussions are an excellent opportunity for students to practice skills, such as active listening, argumentation, public speaking, and consideration of multiple points of view. Below are some strategies and sample phrases to help you foster collegial and productive discussions.
Strategy | Sample phrases |
|---|---|
Paraphrasing - you validate a student’s contribution and ensure that their thoughts are clear to you and the rest of the group. | “To make sure I understand what you’re saying …” |
Connecting ideas - you encourage the class to relate their ideas, creating a synthesis that they may have not previously considered. | “It sounds like your perspective on this topic parallels John's - you both seem to raise the point that ..." |
Giving neutral feedback - you acknowledge a student’s point without revealing your feelings about it and ask the group to think about the idea. | “That’s an interesting possibility. What do the rest of you think?” |
Returning a question asked to you to the class - you empower the class to share their own knowledge and experience, and engage in the conversation. | “Does anyone have a response?” |
Provide structured opportunities for reflection and input - you change the pace, allowing for new ideas to surface when discussion is lagging. | “Let’s take some time to think about alternative perspectives we might not have considered before ...” |
Create opportunities for all students to partake - you ask those who have not yet participated to participate. The goal is for students to have a choice to participate (i.e., not cold calling). | “Can we hear from someone who hasn’t spoken yet?” |
Ensure diverse perspectives are welcome - you promote the diversity of ideas and reflection on new perspectives. | “What perspectives have we not yet considered? Does anyone want to weigh in?” |
Refocus students’ attention - you bring students’ attention back if the discussion is going off track. | “How do the issues that have just been raised relate to the question originally posed?” |
Bring closure - you allow students to summarize the central issues covered in the discussion. Likewise, you link the discussion to the learning objectives. | “Can anyone summarize the key points we discussed?” |
References
[1]Aloni, M., & Harrington, C. (2018). Research-based practices for improving the effectiveness of asynchronous online discussion boards. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 4(4), 271-289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/stl0000121
[2]Ives, K. (2020, April 1). Moving classes online is hard. Online discussion can help. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/04/01/how-cultivate-student-collaboration-and-engagement-online-learning-opinion
[3]deNoyelles, A., Zydney, J., & Chen, B. (2014). Strategies for creating a community of inquiry through online asynchronous discussions. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 10(1), 153-165. Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol10no1/denoyelles_0314.pdf
[4]Simon, E. (2018, Nov. 21). 10 Tips for effective online discussions. EDUCAUSE Review: Transforming Higher Ed. https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2018/11/10-tips-for-effective-online-discussions
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