- Consider how a face-to-face group discussion might differ from an online one with these notes. Create challenging, engaging discussion questions, debates and activities using a critical thinking framework
- Assess online discussions using the recommendations and rubrics suggested in these notes
- Tools for discussion forums include Blackboard and Voicethread
- Suggested learning activities that are mapped to the Best Practice Principles are below.
|
Active Induction |
Guided Exploration |
Facilitated Investigation |
Self-organised Learner |
| Participation in informal forums for peer socialisation and induction | Participation in informal forums for peer sharing and support | Students use group forum to organise group work/ projects | Students set up own forums, to plan and support group work/ projects |
| Participation in forum set up by tutor | Student selects topic/ approach for discussion. | Students moderate discussion and provide summary | Students invite/ interviews externals |
| Students review guidelines for effective learning in discussions | Participation in discussion of process of learning through discussion | Students explore issues in learning in online discussions | Peers discuss and reflect on process of learning through discussion |
| Students review assessment criteria/ rubric for online discussions | Tutor comments on content and process and offers feedback against assessment criteria/ rubric | Students comment and offer feedback to peers against assessment criteria/ rubric | Tutor provides summative assessment against assessment criteria/ rubric |
| (Delphi) Each student poses question | (Delphi) Each student responds to another student’s question | (Delphi) Each student comments on another student’s response | (Delphi) Students review and reflect on questions, responses and comments |
| (Debate) Students read stimulus material and post individual statement | (Debate) Students work in groups to agree and post a supporting or opposing argument | (Debate) Students post responses to arguments | (Debate) Students vote and review conclusions |
| (Role-play) Students read stimulus materials for situation/ problem | (Role-play) Students assigned roles and review context and problem | (Role-play) Students, in role, post responses to situation/ problem | (Role-play) Students contribute final conclusion and reflect |
| (Muddiest point) Students read material and add question/ comment on their ‘muddiest point’ | (Muddiest point) Students read material and other students’ questions and contribute comments | ||
| (BOLD) Students post individual question/ reflection or critique on reading | (BOLD) Student teams work together to produce team items (e.g., unresolved, re-written individual items) | (BOLD) Teams offers peer critique and tutor offers comment/ feedback | (BOLD): Participation in extended discussion with summary |
Other Models for Online Discussion Activities:
- Salmon’s 5-Stage Model for E-tivities
- Akin and Neal’s CREST+ Model for writing effective online discussion questions
- BOLD Model
- Brown’s ACC Model for building community in online discussions
- Critical Thinking Model for Socratic Questioning
- Moule’s ‘e-learning ladder’ Model for e-Learning
- De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats for roles and approaches