Building Student Engagement with Discussions

Discussion Assignment

A key component of your graduate coursework is participating in online discussions with classmates. Often, online discussions become an opportunity to check a box or write a multi-page report. I would like to move our discussion beyond this to one that becomes a true conversation where we explore ideas together. In addition to being thoughtful about the discussion prompts, I would like to see you asking and answering questions, making suggestions, and sharing examples from your own life. I would like to see this begin to look like a true conversation, so while most of your posts should be a paragraph or two in length (not a page or two), some may be shorter and more casual and conversational. Remember to contribute to the learning community by being creative in your approaches to topics, being relevant in the presented viewpoints, and attempting to motivate the discussion. And remember, there is value in diverse perspectives, so it is OK to have a constructive and considerate disagreement.

Timeline

In order to mimic a real conversation, you will be expected to be online and participate in online discussions for at least four days during the discussion period. While the times of day and specific days of the week in which you do this work are flexible, you must participate actively and regularly in online discussions to be successful and fulfill your responsibilities as a member of the class learning community. I would suggest setting aside dedicated time several times a week for participation.

Lessons begin on Wednesday and the discussion will be open for ten days (even though the rest of the lesson is only scheduled for one week). Your initial post is due on Sunday. You are then required to participate in the conversation on at least three different days by or before the following Thursday.

Style

Discussion forum posts are to be conversational but remember that standard etiquette and writing rules apply -- you are expected to conduct yourself professionally, check your spelling, and write coherent sentences. When quoting from or paraphrasing articles we read in this class, it is fine to cite the author(s) parenthetically, and in-line in the text. When using outside sources, please include a bibliographical citation at the end of your post. 

Rubric

In GEOG 489: Advanced Python Programming for GIS, students work independently on programming tasks but are encouraged to use Piazza (integrated within Canvas) to hold related discussions with classmates. Here, students construct knowledge collaboratively as they assist one another, share perspectives and ideas, and answer each other’s questions. The informal and low-stakes environment (participation is optional) and the involvement of authentic, engaged instructors as collaborators check anxiety and isolation and foster a safe cognitive and social space.

Learning is a social activity, and interaction in a peer-supported environment can help make learning more durable and provide a transformational learning experience.  

Above is an excerpt from the course discussion (names withheld).

Reciprocal Questioning is a strategy that promotes critical thinking while increasing student engagement with one another and with the course material. Students work in small groups to discuss course material, or a portion of the course material, like a video. They discuss where they need further clarification or more information. Then a group representative shares the questions with the instructor and the instructor's Docsanswers benefit the entire class.

Assignment Details

The process works like this:

1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Each group discusses the assigned lesson and brainstorms a list of questions they have about the material.
3. After brainstorming, the group members choose their best questions and refine them.
4. A spokesperson for each group provides the questions to the instructor.
5. The instructor answers the questions to reinforce learning for everyone in the class.

This activity will also provide instructors with insight into how they can further develop their material to improve understanding for future students.

This activity is a great fit for face-to-face classes but can also be used in online classes with small group discussions or collaborative workspaces like Google Docs or Microsoft Whiteboard.

Video-based asynchronous discussions are an excellent alternative, or addition to, text-based discussions. Video-based asynchronous discussions utilize an app to create a group discussion or sharing opportunity where students record short videos of themselves and respond to their peers' posts via video. Video discussions are very effective at creating social and teaching presence and increased collaboration. Asynchronous video discussions are also particularly good at decreasing a student's sense of isolation that can come from being in an online class or being a member of a minoritized group such as ESL students or women in STEM. It can also reduce the instructor’s feelings of isolation – a win-win for everyone!

This example used an app called Flip to encourage a class of multi-national students from around the globe to introduce themselves. Students were encouraged to post 1-2 minute-videos introducing themselves, their interest and experience with the course content, their expectations for the class, and some interesting facts about themselves. Students were then encouraged to respond to 2 or more of their peers via video. Student feedback was positive, with several non-Americans sharing how much they appreciated seeing and “getting to know” their classmates.

• There are many different tools for incorporating asynchronous video discussions, including Canvas discussions utilizing the record/upload media function, Kaltura and the classroom Media Gallery, VoiceThread, and Flip.
• You can use asynchronous video discussions for many other types of assignments including discussing course concepts, sharing observations and questions about required readings, etc.
• Set a minimum and maximum length for each video and responses to minimize rambling and to ease time spent grading.