As an instructor, you’ve probably experienced disengaged online discussion boards. You want students sharing insights into class assignments and engaging in productive dialogues about how to apply class concepts to their lives. Instead, students ask closed-ended questions and respond to each others’ posts with one-word answers.
Michael Fricke, a business instructor at the University of Arizona, understands the challenges of online discussion. In this webinar, he shares techniques to turn online discussion boards into active learning environments.
One of the biggest hurdles with online discussions is managing them takes time, especially as classes continue to increase in size. So what can instructors do to further promote student engagement in online discussions? Below are three techniques outlined in the webinar:
PROVIDING SCALABLE FEEDBACK
Use Packback’s “Give Feedback” feature to provide positive feedback on what’s working and constructive comments on how to make posts better.
HIGHLIGHTING DISCUSSION POSTS
Browse posts and choose 2-3 posts to highlight as a quality standard each week.
GAMIFICATION
Encourage students to post beyond the minimum requirements with small group competitions.
