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Revamping Discussion Boards for Engaging and Dynamic Learning Experiences

This article explores innovative ways to enhance traditional discussion boards in education. It highlights the importance of these tools in asynchronous learning by fostering accountability, pre-class knowledge building, and student engagement. By incorporating multimedia, open-ended questions, and Web 2.0 technologies, educators can create a more relevant and interesting experience for students. Feedback from both students and faculty indicates improved engagement and ease of grading. Discover practical recommendations for transforming discussion boards into vibrant learning communities.

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Revamping Discussion Boards for Engaging and Dynamic Learning Experiences

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  1. Revamping the Tired Discussion Board Corinne Hyde, Ed.D. Brandon Martinez, Ed.D. Kimberly Ferrario, Ph.D.

  2. Why use discussion boards (now)?    • Asynchronous learning • Build background knowledge prior to class time • Have students grapple with concepts prior to class time • Accountability for doing the readings • Evaluation- do students understand concepts?

  3. What do discussion boards usually look like?    • Text based • Threaded • One or two discussion questions - students all answer the same questions • Students will respond if required to, but rarely otherwise • When students do respond to each other they tend to state their agreement

  4. Typical Discussion Board

  5. What would we like to be able to do with discussion boards?   • dynamic • multimedia • open ended • connected to the world • relevant outside the classroom

  6. What we did:     • part of Open Course Redesign Model • continuous course redesign cycle • student and instructor feedback - discussion boards are boring to read, tedious to grade • looked for ways to incorporate Web 2.0 tools • increase engagement • connections with student interests • open ended • teaches more than one thing (content and technology) • wiki-esque model

  7. What the discussion board assignment looks like now    • Involves students finding resources from around the web • Involves students making connections between theory and these resources • Can function within any discussion board system you’re already using • zero cost

  8. What people are saying:    • Students: • More interesting posts • desire to read others’ posts • finding new resources • Faculty • Easier to grade • More interesting to read • Finding new resources to share with future classes • Students make connections with shared resources we didn’t even know existed • Students now reference others’ posts in class more often.

  9. Option to incorporate cutting edge technology - Voicethread

  10. Voicethread benefits    • multimedia commenting • ease of use for students • ease of grading for faculty • visually appealing

  11. Voicethread drawbacks    • no threaded conversations • cannot direct responses (tag) to certain individuals • when given the option, students will default to using text instead of multimedia commenting tools.

  12. Recommendations for revamping your discussion boards    • Keep the rigor • Add choice • Add multimedia options • Encourage the use of Web 2.0 tools • Be willing to consider “odd” sources • Steal what your students share - it will make your teaching more relevant!

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