Discussion Board Activity

PART 2: Now that you have a better understanding of the difference between an assignment and and activity, we are going to design an activity that you can choose to grade or not, using the Discussions tool.

NOTE: For complete Instructor Guide ~ http://guides.instructure.com/m/4152/c/23845

Our first task is going to expand our understanding regarding the value of using discussion forums for learning. Often times, the amount of interaction on a discussion board becomes overwhelming. Therefore, defining the purpose and role is critical. Please take a few moments to read an article produced by Edutopia on "Mastering online discussion facilitation."

The benefits of using an online discussion board for your class are numerous. Some key advantages include:

Builds connections and class community by promoting discussion on course topics and more informal discussion
Contributes to the development of cognitive, critical thinking, and writing skills
Allows time for thoughtful, in-depth reflection on course topics. Much like traditional writing exercises, students have more time to think about, research, and compose their thoughts before contributing to the discussion.
Facilitates exploratory learning by allowing students to review and respond to the work of others and approach learning in diverse ways
Empowers students to express themselves. For students with different learning styles, an online discussion board can be a venue where they feel more comfortable contributing to group discussions. With positive reinforcement from interactions on the discussion board, an increase in in-class participation may also occur. (Source: University of Washington, 2011)

Click "Next" below to move on...