Discussion+Boards

=Discussion Boards - Taming the Wild Beast=

Videos: [|Using Discussion Boards to Engage Students]

[|University of Texas - Staff Interviews]

[|Blackboard Discussion Board Tutorial in YouTube]

1.  Tasks: a. Add discussion board button to menu – decide what you want it name it. (Water cooler, Hallway) b. Name Course – “1 - Discussion Board Practice – //Your Name//” c. Enroll students into course d. Form a group who are willing to post to each other’s discussion board e. Create a new Discussion Forum f. Learn about Forum settings  i. Talk about how students can change a post once it’s posted  ii. Talk about critical – create new threads; moderate posts; grade posts; subscribing to Forum and Thread g. New Thread – if graded, this must be indicated. h. Good questions for generating feedback. i. Write five questions  i. First – a sample question which would be a good introduction question which everyone would easily respond to – to build confidence in using discussion boards.  ii. One sample question which would not generate good feedback. Think of a Yes/No question.  iii. Two open ended questions which may generate good feedback and discussion. Be specific if you want three examples, ask for three examples. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> iv. Create a Questions forum for general questions or sharing related to the course. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> v. Walk around your group and look at each other’s questions on their laptops. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;">j. In your Thread – pose the welcome question. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> i. Visit other in your group and answer their question. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> ii. Go back to your forum and read the answers. Have fun. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> iii. Talk about collecting discussion board answers and replying. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> iv. Talk about having a student summarize posts. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;">k. Reply to another person’s thread – talk about what makes a good reply to a post. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;">l. Add a link to a file to your post. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;">m. Add a file to your post. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;">n. Create a new Forum <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msobidifontfamily: 'Comic Sans MS'; msolist: Ignore;"> i. Have other settings – try subscribing to Thread. Turn on grading or moderation. Change a user’s rights to moderator or grader. o. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; msospacerun: yesmsoSpacerun;">As time allows – create two groups and assign a forum to each group. Add a group button. Add users to a group manually.