Discussion Board - Tips for Effective Use

1. Online Office Hours - Manage expectations by communicating to students the days and times when you will be responding to discussion board posts. Not only will this provide students with a guide as to when they can expect a response but it will also help manage your workload. Respond to posts twice a week as a minimum. Also let students know if you will be away from the computer for longer than 24 hours.

2. Assessment Drives Learning - Whether you like it or not, if you attach marks to the discussion board then there will usually be more participation and better quality discussion. If you don’t want to assign marks to the discussion board, there has to be some other reason for students to use it. The motivation might be that the questions/topics posed are directly linked to assessed activities.

3. Introductions - Create a forum or thread just for people to introduce themselves. This gives participants a chance to know who they are talking to when they post. Make sure you introduce yourself too, include a photo and something about yourself not related to teaching the course... your hobby, favourite holiday destination etc. favourite holiday destination etc.

4. Anonymous Posts - It is possible to allow students to post anonymously to discussion boards. This is a good idea for general 'ask a question' type forums where students might feel embarrassed to ask a certain questions. It does mean that the forum needs to be regularly monitored in case anything inappropriate is posted. Instructors can remove inappropriate posts. Students should be made aware that Technology Services can ultimately identify any activity undertaken when they are logged in and they should read and understand the Acceptable Use Policy.

5. Stop Responding to Email - If a student emails a question that should be on the discussion board, copy and paste it to the forum as an anonymous post, answer it there, send the student an email telling them their question is answered on the discussion board. Students will catch on fairly quickly and often find their question has already been asked and answered.

6. Start the Discussion Board in the Classroom - By introducing the question or topic in the classroom you give the question a voice and link it to the face-to-face experience. Online and face-to-face activities should be integrated so they are not seen as 'extras' or 'add-ons' by students.

7. Tell students why - Clearly indicate the learning outcome/s associated with the discussion board so students understand why they are being asked to contribute.

8. Tell students what is expected - If you expect a certain standard of response then provide an example of a model post and a marking rubric. Students are often used to being casual and using abbreviations when they communicate online, make it clear from the outset what kind of language is required and let students know early on if their posts are not up to scratch.

9. Provide Feedback - all posts should receive a response, either from another student or a teacher. Generally there should be strong teacher presence on the discussion board, this does not just mean providing answers but includes summarising threads, highlighting important points, redirecting threads when they go off topic and generally facilitating the discussion as you would in a face-to-face situation.