In this session, we'll use animal archetypes to talk about the nine types of participation patterns you can expect to experience in a Discussion Board - and more than two dozen strategies for how to avoid overtalking and undersharing for the perfectly balanced Discussion Board.
Topic
Most instructors have a love-hate relationship with Discussion Board. There are so many things for them to consider - Will I participate or not participate? Should it be graded or not graded? And so on. But perhaps the biggest “pet peeve” regarding Discussion Board is how students participate in / on it. Some log on early and are never heard from again. Some log in every day and dominate the discussion. Some are somewhere in between. Unfortunately, there’s not much guidance available in terms of helping instructors ensure that the Discussion Board runs smoothly and equitably. Using Salmon (2003) as a starting point, this session seeks to address this by encouraging participants to think of students’ patterns of participation in / on Discussion Board in terms of animal archetypes - and how to respond / accommodate so that both their learning needs and the need for a balanced discussion are met. For example, a student who is a Wolf visits once a week, posts a lot, and then disappears again until next week, or even the week after. The best ways to address the needs of the Wolf are (1) to nudge the wolf to visit regularly and see responses they’ve sparked; (2) point to another activity / assignment that may interest the wolf; and (3) create “sticky” prompts that capture the wolf’s attention. This is particularly relevant information because making good use of discussion boards is often listed as one of the most important features of an online learning experience.
Plan for Interactivity
This session will begin with a concept attainment exercise. They will be given the 9 animal archetypes and asked to brainstorm strategies to address their patterns of participation. [15 minutes] Either way, afterwards, there will be a quick mini-presentation on the archetypes and strategies [10 minutes]. Then, using what they’ve learned, groups will work together to add additional strategies for each archetype [15 minutes]. Lastly, the session will close with a participant-led question and answer session [5 minutes].
Takeaways
Participants will gain several takeaways from attending this presentation, including: (1) a framework for thinking about patterns of student participation on Discussion Board; (2) a list of strategies for addressing the challenges associated with these patterns; and (3) an opportunity to contribute to the list of strategies - and take them home for future reference / use.