Get Students Talking: Tips for Effective Engagement in Online Discussion Boards - Blog

by Angela September 22, 2023
Get Students Talking: Tips for Effective Engagement in Online Discussion Boards

We’ve heard all the complaints about discussion boards.

At Professor Services, we are in online classrooms with students daily and understand the struggle to motivate and encourage actual discussion. “Faculty often complain that discussions don’t work. Don’t blame the tool! Discussions can be the heart of the online student experience when used to facilitate communication, connection, and shared experiences,” says The Babb Group’s COO, Sheila Fry. Fry has been teaching online for over 20 years.

We’ve developed best practices for discussions that we use as faculty and instructional designers. We share these insights so you and your students can use this powerful tool to connect, share, collaborate, and, yes, discuss.

Ask The Right Questions for Facilitating the Exchange of Ideas

Artwork by Malvika Shah

Unlike formal assessments, discussions should allow students to freely explore their ideas without the pressure of meeting specific word counts or providing extensive citations. “If you want students to discuss instead of regurgitate facts or provide a correct answer, you need a well-written question and faculty facilitation,” says Fry.

Effective online discussions start with thoughtfully constructed questions, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Give students open-ended questions where they need to dive into the topic, reflect on personal experiences, and explore various perspectives. Think about how you ask questions and facilitate a discussion in face-to-face settings. Asking a question with one or two correct answers does not inspire an active and ongoing conversation. Give students prompts that lead them to engage one another.

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Train, Don’t Overwhelm

While it’s essential to guide students on interacting in the discussion board effectively, let’s avoid overwhelming them with rigid rules. Provide a brief training at the beginning of the course with examples of your expectations, outlining the purpose of the discussion board and emphasizing the value of active engagement. Encourage them to focus on the quality of their contributions rather than the quantity of words.

Embrace Brevity

Think about how you discuss in face-to-face environments. No one wants to listen to the person who drones on and on. Approach online discussions in the same way. Encourage students to express their thoughts succinctly, focusing on the core of their ideas. This approach makes interactions more digestible and encourages more students to participate.

Engage, but Not with Everyone Every Time

Just as you wouldn’t go student-to-student in a face-to-face class, resist the temptation to respond to every student’s post in the online discussion board. However, we do encourage welcoming each student if you have an introduction discussion thread. Instead, take on the role of facilitator, highlighting exceptional points to the whole class or a group of students, asking thought-provoking questions, and guiding the conversation’s overall direction.

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Save Citations for Assessments

Save the formal citations and scholarly rigor for assignments and assessments. In the discussion board, let students explore their ideas without feeling constrained by the need to provide extensive references. Encourage them to draw upon personal experiences, course materials, and recent news and trends to enrich the conversation.

Take advantage of the discussion board for collaboration, exploration, and experimentation. By encouraging informal interactions and fostering a supportive environment, we can empower students to express themselves freely while enriching their learning experiences.

Let’s embrace the potential of online education and make our discussion boards a dynamic hub for students.
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Angela

Angela Britcher is a writer, communications professor, and instructional designer. She works with The Babb Group and Edusity.
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