Topics Map > Teaching Strategies > Discussions
Student Introductions - Description
Student Introductions through online discussions.
Introductory Discussions
| Instructor Prep Time | Low |
|---|---|
| Student Activity Time | Low |
| Instructor Response Time | Low |
| Complexity of Activity | Break students into smaller groups |
Description
Online students often feel isolated from anyone who can share their immediate learning experiences. This is why one of the best practices for online courses recommends that a discussion forum focused on introductions is one of the first activities of any course to support the emotional component of learning (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016). This introductory discussion forum lays the foundation for student-to-student conversation, interaction, and support, creating a comfortable and trusting social presence (Garrison, Anderson & Arche, 2000).
|
Use it when you want...
- Students to interact with others to form social connections
- Students to develop a broader understanding of other students’ experiences and backgrounds
Workflow
- Identify and align the discussion with course outcomes or unit objectives.
Example: Students will work collaboratively to develop proposals for community development. - Develop the discussion promo.
Example: Share your personal experience with community development efforts in your town or city. - Identify when the discussion should occur and the desired elements and depth of the post.
Example: A good post should name an experience, define its depth, and provide some judgment on its value or success. - Identify the kind of feedback or response necessary to accomplish the desired outcome.
Example: Students will respond to one other student’s post and make a connection or contrast to their personal experience. - Determine your role in this discussion.
Example: I will summarize my experiences in the following in-class session. - Identify what activities will occur before and after the discussion.
Example: Before the discussion, students will review examples of past community development proposals in the Canvas Modules tool. I will then use the feedback to form the groups for their community development proposals. - Create the discussion post in Canvas.
- In the discussion description, include statements on how the discussion supports specific course outcomes.
- Develop and post an example of a successful post.
- Guide students on how they should interact with the discussion post.
Example: Students should post their responses by Wednesday at midnight and read and respond to students' posts by Thursday at midnight. - Identify how/if the post will be graphed.
Example: This discussion will be worth five points. I will use the following rubric to evaluate your post:- the post identified a community development project,
- the post summarized their experience or role in the project and
- the post made a judgment on the effectiveness of the project.