Class Discussion Online

Mechanics

There are two kinds of class discussion possible online:  synchronous, where all the participation happens in a set “real time;” and asynchronous discussion, where students type in their comments whenever they visit the site.   Synchronous discussions (“chat”) involve the instructor or other discussion leader moderating, but can be structured so that students respond to one or more established questions, and respond to one another raising points and new questions.  (Instructors familiar with CTools chat should use the CTools “Chat” function which has UM staff support.  Many other sites – Google.com, yahoo.com, aol.com, and the like – have chat functions, but no UM staff support.) 

Asynchronous discussion is a threaded discussion whichi involves students answering questions, and/or raising questions that others comment on or respond to. Mblog is a choice [mblog.lib.umich.edu] ; Blogger  [blogger.com] is a free software but will not have UM staff support.

Strategies

Online discussion can vary in structure. The instructor can create topics for discussion and post them at strategic points in the course timeframe. Students may be assigned to come up with questions based on readings and/ or lecture material. Role play or debate structures also work well. So does the “fishbowl,” where a few students discuss online, and then others in the class comment on the discussion they had: clarifying points, asking questions not yet addressed, noting the dynamics of discussion (depending on the purpose of discussion). The instructor usually monitors the discussion, adding a comment for encouragement or a point of clarification when necessary. It is very valuable for the instructor to sum up key points at the close of discussion.

Crafting effective questions that help students understand the course content and promote learning is a key to a successful discussion.
(Cf. http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/questionwriting/index.shtml)

Student participation can be graded by giving “points” for specific discursive skills such as making comments, responding, advancing the discussion, synthesizing, identifying underlying issues and questions, and so forth.

Help in Making Your Decisions

If you need assistance making decisions about how to proceed, or clarification about any of these suggestions, you can contact a CRLT consultant via email at crlt@umich.edu .   If you need CTools technical support, you need to find it through the CTools website help link or “contact us” link.  Other technical support should come from your department or School or College. 

Instructor's Guide: An Outline of How to Proceed
Online Lecture Strategies
Other Creative Teaching Strategies, Adapted for Use Online
Emergency Teaching Home
CRLT Home

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