#Pokerth discussion board archive#
#Pokerth discussion board series#

Asynchronous, online discussions where students can process the material, interact with each other, and form a collaborative community are key to successful online teaching. In an online course, discussion boards provide that same visible, interactive space for students to interact academically and socially with their peers. In a traditional f2f classroom, students see each other and interact in the physical classroom space.

ĭiscussion boards are arguably the most important part of the online course. Vanderbilt University Course Development Resources. General queries: a forum for general queries about the course.Discussion Boards By Stacey M Johnson, Assistant Director for Educational Technology, Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching Cite this guide: Johnson, S.M.FAQ (frequently asked questions): answers to the questions that students repeatedly ask about your course, your research or department.Here are some examples:Ī Noticeboard: a place for class announcements Using the category or forum feature allows the instructor to create different kinds of uses within a course discussion board. What are the types of discussion boards to consider my class?Ī discussion board can be used in many ways. By defining different categories or forums, your level of participation can vary depending on the type of forum. Declare the level of participation students should expect from you.Use the syllabus to provide information on discussion board use.Define the level of participation required by students and its effect on grading.State the purpose of the discussion board.What is my role as the instructor when using a discussion board?Įstablish rules for the discussion board and make students aware of your expectations.

#Pokerth discussion board archive#

They represent an archive of discussions useful for later review.

They allow students to share information or references with each other.

They provide an outlet for all students to pose questions and receive feedback, not just from the instructor, but also from other participants.

Students can engage in critical debates, requiring a deeper level of participation than simply listening to a lecture.

They extend time for discussion beyond scheduled class time to allow for reflection and further comment.

You can provide preparatory materials for classroom work, thereby optimizing class time.

While discussion boards might be considered 'impersonal,' they provide a more level playing field for shy and foreign students permitting them to contribute to class discussions.ĬourseWorks offers a discussion board for your course.ĭiscussions boards enhance classes in a variety of ways: The archived discussion can be used to review interesting segments or to return when further contributions have been made. You can choose to reply at once, or you can go away and think about a response before coming back to reply or as in a real discussion, you can simply listen without contributing. This type of communication is called asynchronous (not real time) communication. The primary benefit of a discussion board is the flexibility of accessing the discussion at any time. What are the benefits of using a discussion board? A threaded discussion board organizes messages by threads. Most discussion boards support messages containing images or media files. A discussion board can be further organized by categories or forums, offering an efficient way to create discussions that support a major topic or a particular type of discussion.

#Pokerth discussion board series#

A series of messages in response to an initial message or topic is called a thread. A message that opens a discussion is called a topic. A message can be a question or response, a comment, or an announcement accessible to members of the group. A discussion board is a group communication tool used to share messages.