In online classes, forum discussion promotes interaction and learning, yet students often find the questions and overall format to be monotonous and unengaging. In this session, two program directors will provide practical approaches to reinvent the online discussion forum for optimal learning and engagement to occur.
Students often find synchronous and asynchronous discussions in online courses to be monotonous and unengaging. Studies show that students often simply go through the motions of writing a post and do not fully engage (Fung, 2004; Cho & Cho, 2016). Lack of engagement and interest may reduce student motivation, effort, and satisfaction. This presentation will highlight approaches to online discussion forums that move away from the tedious nature of typical “read and respond” discussions.
Two program directors will draw from their experience and student feedback to provide an overview of how to effectively use discussions including when and how prompts are used within the course based on a variety of factors (e.g., platforms, length, assessments). Suggestions on how to organize discussions with a theoretical and practical balance will be offered with specific examples (e.g., Google Suite tasks, tutorial creation).
The presentation will move to an overview of how standard discussion prompts and responses were transformed to be more dynamic and effective. Specific discussion examples will be shared, supported by examples of student responses before and after the transformation, to highlight the characteristics of the new prompts that help to ignite student interest and deepen learning.
Next, students may not be confident in using discussion apps for language teaching purposes (Goertler, Bollen, & Gaff, 2012; Rubio & Thoms, 2014). Ways to move discussions beyond the standard LMS text-based discussion forum by utilizing apps, multimedia, and other internet-based tools will be covered, demonstrating how to effectively integrate and contextualize educational technology with a purpose. Examples of real discussions that utilize VoiceThread, Canva, and recording apps (YouTube, Zoom, etc.).
Finally, the session will end with a brief question and answer time and participants will be given a link to examples of all approaches.