Online Education Discussion Forum Strategies

1. Online Education Discussion Forum Strategies Dr. Sam Cotton Depart. of Technology Ball State University Muncie, Indiana ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

2. Major points • Asynchronous forums vs face-to-face classes • Required vs optional participation • Assessment strategies • Various methods of interaction strategies • Matching objectives and content to strategy • Follow-up discussion ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

3. How forums are similar/dissimilar to face-to-face interactions • Same discussions, slower reaction times in forums • All class members are involved in both • More time to consider input in forum than in live class or electronic chatrooms • Typing skills/techniques can become an issue in a forum • 24 hour a day access to discussion in forum, limited access in live class situations • Live classes tend to communicate less in email than electronic classes • Potential for dramatic increase in volume and quality of communication in forum over live • Online discussions can require much more instructor time than in a time limited live class ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

4. Required versus optional use strategies • Optional participation • Some view as an enhancement of instruction • Alternative communication tool • Usually non-assessed – possible overall grade impact • Often results in very limited participation • Some will rarely if ever participate with optional • Required participation • Usually viewed as a critical instructional tool • Can be used as a team interaction strategy • Normally assessed • May require minimum standards of participation ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

5. Alternatives for assessment • Primarily quality • Subjectively evaluated by instructor – explain method • Primarily volume • Word or post counts • Some use “curve” with this method – be careful with this • Combination of quality/quantity • Rubric • Chart of values of a number of factors • May exclude off content or superfluous items • Students should be able to estimate results when done ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

6. Simple Rubric Example – Total required can vary ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

7. Possible Disclaimers for previous Rubric • Idle conversation • Off-topic information • Plagiarized materials (also other consequences) • Simple agree/disagree or yes/no • Aggressive, insulting, or slanderous posts • Superfluous questions or repeated statements • Each post considered one item for scoring • Three questions in a single post score as one ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

8. Expanded/interactive submission tools • Electronic submissions can be attached to forum posts • All students can benefit from submissions of others • Assessments normally still confidential • Students can critique or help with the work of others • Submit drafts in forum early, then submit final products after revision based on input from forum • No memory limits as with email submissions • Multiple points of view and shared expertise • Faster feedback due to more participants at varied times • Permanent record of all activities available to all ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

9. Various methods of interaction • Teacher guided • Introducing “facts” – teacher in dominant role • Temptation for instructor to become overly dominant • Questioning/Socratic method • Teacher moderated • Teacher as challenger • Student guided • Role assignments - student assigned dominant role? • Teacher moderated • Student moderated • Low teacher input ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

10. Matching objectives and content to strategy • Team activities • May use group forums • Can be restricted to group or open to all • Business and industry now often use distance teams • Whole group discussions • Topical • Peer support and input as well as instructor input • Shared research • Report findings or record group interactions • Rotating leadership • Students can experience a variety of leadership roles • Chair, recorder, editor, inquisitor, etc. ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

11. Other considerations • Student responses to questions • Often students will answer questions before teacher even sees the questions • Can save instructor time • All students benefit from answers/discussion • In email only one person’s question is answered • In live class, timing may lower value of responses shared with group • Avoids repetition of answers that occur in email • Many use email as a question and answer tool instead of forums ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

12. Summary • Determine purpose/objectives of activity • Required vs. Optional • Assessed directly, general, or not assessed • If assessed, explain method clearly • Vary methods to keep the strategy “fresh” • Avoid instructor dominance • Good tool for team activities • Encourages class peer support ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina

13. Questions / Discussion • Dr. Sam Cotton • Department of Technology • Ball State University • Muncie, IN 47306-0255 • 765-285-5640 - Fax 765-285-2162 • scotton@bsu.edu • http://scotton.iweb.bsu.edu/ACTE/ACTE2008PPForums.ppt ACTE Convention 2008 - Charlotte, North Carolina