What are online discussions?
An online discussion is an exchange of information, ideas, and/or feedback over the Internet, using a discussion software, in a designated place -- commonly referred to as "a forum," "a board," or "a room." It is usually asynchronous. Discussions in an online course is a great way to
The University of Hawaii's course management system Laulima provides tools for instructors to facilitate asynchronous online discussions. Although we generally recommend Forums tool, Discussion & Private Messages (DPM) tool is also a great option. Here is a comparison of the two tools.
An asynchronous discussion in a structured environment usually happens in this sequence:
- build a learning community
- enhance learning and
- develop thinking and writing skills.
The University of Hawaii's course management system Laulima provides tools for instructors to facilitate asynchronous online discussions. Although we generally recommend Forums tool, Discussion & Private Messages (DPM) tool is also a great option. Here is a comparison of the two tools.
An asynchronous discussion in a structured environment usually happens in this sequence:
- The instructor prompts a discussion by posing a question, a scenario, or a challenge.
- Students respond to the prompt.
- Students read and react to their peers' responses.
- Students follow up by replying to their peer' responses.
Why should I include discussion activities in my online course?
Isn't it enough to have Homepages, Announcements, Modules, Assignments, and Tests? Perhaps your face-to-face version of the same course does not have in-class discussions, so it's hard to imagine how and why you should have the asynchronous discussion component in your online course.
The more obvious answers are that:
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Research shows...
University of Oregon reports that online instructors who use discussion activities successfully report 3 times as much interaction with their online students as the interaction with their face-to-face students.
A 2001 publication from the National Academy of Sciences, How People Learn, says that "students learn more when the concepts are personally meaningful to them. ... In order to deeply understand a topic, learners not only need to know relevant facts, theories, and applications, they must also make sense of the topic through organization of those ideas into a framework (schema) of understanding." (Metiri Group, 2008) |
Online discussion activities can provide that framework where students can apply the topic in their personal lives or in a real-world environment around them. The instructor's role is to build that framework and guide their students through the process. Research has found that 80% - 85% of what students learn by higher-level questioning (requiring higher-level cognitive processes) is retained. (Batson, 1981, cited in Muilenburg & Berge, 2006) |
There is ample amount of research done and papers written on this topic. We have compiled essential and effective strategies, so that you can learn from the studies and experiences of others. We hope you will find this site interesting and helpful.
Resources
Metiri Group (2008). Multimodal Learning Through Media: What the Research Says. Cisco Systems, Inc.
Muilengburg, L., & Berge, Z. (2006). A Framework for Designing Questions for online learning. The American Journal of Distance Education.
Generating and Facilitating Engaging and Effective Online Discussions. Teaching Effectiveness Program, University of Oregon.
Metiri Group (2008). Multimodal Learning Through Media: What the Research Says. Cisco Systems, Inc.
Muilengburg, L., & Berge, Z. (2006). A Framework for Designing Questions for online learning. The American Journal of Distance Education.
Generating and Facilitating Engaging and Effective Online Discussions. Teaching Effectiveness Program, University of Oregon.