10 Tips on How to Run an Asynchronous Discussion in the Online Classroom
My experience working with students in asynchronous conversations has been wonderful, and I think that it's a great tool in the instructor's toolkit. Certainly, it takes time and attention to do well. But, if an instructor has a specific set of learning objectives, this method of engagement can be a great way to achieve their goals.
In my experience, there were a few things that have made asynchronous discussion forums effective:
A small set of questions to spark discussion. Four or five questions is sufficient to keep dozens of students active and engaged. Too many questions dilutes the discussion. Too few leads to redundancies in responses. Obviously, the questions need to be tailored to an instructor’s learning objectives and the course level.
Students engage with texts and the forum format differently, so I think that it's best to provide a combination of question types. While some students will avoid the questions that you think are the most interesting or important, they will still learn from the discussion that other students are having online. I would suggest three categories of questions for students that mirror Bloom's taxonomy: 1) reading comprehension; 2) analytical/synthesis questions; 3) evaluation/judgment questions.
If what the class is discussing is a text, consider including questions that have students analyze related non-textual media (e.g. music, film, art)—and vice versa.
Regularly monitor and engage in the conversation in order to encourage the conversation to delve deeper, change course, or pursue new paths of inquiry. I have always had my discussions last a week, which gives students plenty of time to mull over ideas.
Demonstrate what a good post looks like and what a good response looks like before beginning the discussion. This will set the tone for the types of answers that students offer.
Provide specific guidelines for student performance. In my survey courses, I emphasize the importance of textual analysis, building logical arguments, and using empirical facts to make arguments. So, I tell them to think of their posts as mini essays. Because of this, the first two posts that students make rarely read as everyday conversations. I don't worry about this; it's not part of my learning objectives. But, what I find is that, for a cluster of students, they continue to participate in the conversation after the minimum requirements are complete. And, it's at this point that the conversation becomes much more natural.
Teach students how to productively and respectfully disagree with each other before you begin your discussion forum.
Set out minimum expectations, but encourage students to stay engaged by offering extra credit. This credit can be offered in multiple ways, but consider setting up an extra credit thread in which students pursue a question that emerges from the conversation. Teachers can create this at any time during the week's conversation.
I tend to keep my instructions for each assignment to a minimum, preferring instead to provide a set of external resources to supplement them. These resources might include information on how to write an effective response, how to agree or disagree, or how to include citations in a post. I might also add a rubric if I thought it was necessary or helpful to the students.
Always review the conversation in a presentation to the class. In the past I have presented mini-lectures on what we have learned, what some the challenges were, and areas where we excelled. I’ve also used this to delve deeper into facets of the conversation that were uncomfortable or problematic.
Example
Below is an example from a discussion forum on Aimé Cesaire's' Discourse on Colonialism. You will see how I kept the directions to a minimum. You will also notice that my questions are not incredibly complex. There are two reasons for this. First, this was an intro course for non majors. Second, I knew that new questions would/could emerge from the conversation itself. The questions allow students to answer reading comprehension questions, analytical/synthesis questions, and evaluation/judgment questions.
Aimé Cesaire, Discourse on Colonialism Questions
The purpose of this forum is to discuss the Aime Cesaire's essay, Discourse on Colonialism. I encourage all of you to think hard about the questions and to pose difficult questions to yourself and to your classmates.
You are required to do two things:
You must read all the posts by your fellow students by the day of the in-class discussion. There is a tool in Oncourse that allows me to see if you have read all the postings, so please don't forget to read them. Reading over your colleague's posts will also prevent you from repeating something they have already said and not getting credit for your contribution.
You must make a minimum of two substantive posts, which must include at least one reply to a fellow student's comment. As a reminder, you must provide facts (including citations) and examples using academic sources.
I will grade you on the quality of your posts. Unsubstantiated speculation will not get you credit. Treat every post as a short essay with a thesis statement and substantive evidence.
Questions
What was the context in which Cesaire was writing Discourse? What other events had recently happened around the world?
What is Cesaire's thesis?
What does Cesaire mean by "dying civilization" and how does he use this to critique "Western Civilization"?
What does Cesaire think of the bourgeoisie? Of nationalism? How does he see them related in the process of imperialism?
Do you agree with Cesaire. Why or why not?
One more thing…
When Piazza first became available, I adopted it for use as an asynchronous discussion tool. I really loved it, and think it is a great resource for large discussions. There are certainly other tools to use, but I would encourage faculty to have a look.