Structuring Online Discussion Forums

Author: Arlene Vinion Dubiel

Written online discussion forums are a great learning strategy for engaging students, for gathering assessment evidence, and to promote learning. Grounded in social learning theory, online discussion forums have such great potential. But too often they fall flat. Structuring them well from the start can set the stage for productive student discussions online. 

The Purpose

Before you begin creating a discussion forum, articulate what you want students to get out of the discussion. Do you want students to think deeper about a topic, challenging their current conceptions? Do you want them to share new ideas with one another? Is there a particular learning objective you want students to achieve through discussion? Articulating your desired outcome will ease the decisions you have to make in setting up the discussion forum. 

If we are going to make students work, we generally want to assess that work, even if it is formatively. So, how will you use the evidence you can get  from the discussion forum? Do you want to use the discussion as a summative assessment or only formatively? Is it enough that students are participating and interacting? How important is the quality of the discussion? Answering these questions will help you decide how you may, or may not, grade the discussion forum. Making these decisions first will set the stage for how to structure the discussion and what to do with students’ responses.  

The Topics

As mentioned In the previous blog on questions, one good way to start discussions is with an open question for which there are multiple possible responses. Be sure to phrase the question in a way that allows for various thoughts. You may link the question to students’ personal experiences to increase engagement.   

Another option is to allow students to come up with their own discussion questions. One of the more lively discussions for my online class was when I asked students to create a scenario where copyright or fair use was in question. Students then had to view their colleagues’ scenarios and say whether they thought it was a copyright violation or permissible under fair use laws. Because the scenarios came from the students, the quality and quantity of the conversations were more robust than usual. 

You can recreate this kind of discussion in your own online math or science classroom by asking students to find a resource that utilizes current content and asking a question about it. Or students can come up with and post their own complex problem. Fellow students are then required to answer questions or solve problems posted by their classmates. Having the students begin the discussion puts them in the driver’s seat, allowing them to educate their fellow students. It also helps you see the kind of quality work that students can do on their own. Allowing students to start discussions is a win for all. 

The Number

It is challenging to have a full-class discussion and have everyone participate in person. It is equally as challenging to have a full-class discussion online. When you require every student to write and post as a new thread, you end up having as many conversations as you do students in the class. This can be overwhelming both for your and for your students. I set up my discussion forums to limit the number of threads and thus conversations, depending on the purpose. 

If the purpose of the discussion forum is for students to share ideas with one another, I will keep a full-class discussion but limit the number of threads. For example, in a discussion of the integration of educational technology, I have students provide an example of integration in one of four possible threads. The forum is set up so that students cannot create their own threads, rather they reply to one of the existing threads. This limits the number of conversations to a manageable number. 

If the purpose is for students to both share with one another and to think deeper about a topic, I will ask only a few students to post an initial thread. Then, classmates can post replies to those initial threads. I’ll encourage those who wrote the initial posts to respond to questions posted by their classmates. This limits the number of discussion threads and limits parallel discussions in different threads. To make it fair, plan discussion boards in advance and assign particular students to the boards, ensuring that each student contributes an initial posting once before adding more. 

If sharing ideas with a larger group is not necessary, I’ll split the class into smaller discussion groups of only 4-6 students. Each student is required to post an initial thread and then reply to each of their classmates’ posts. This tactic limits the number of conversations and increases interactions among students. With small groups, there is social pressure to engage, promoting more robust conversations than would occur with a larger group. 

“Online discussion forums can be a powerful learning strategy. Structure them well from the start with advanced planning.”

The Continuation

Once the conversations start, you need to keep them going. First, make clear the expectations for responding to initial threads. How many replies should students post? Is there a length requirement or a post quality? At the very least, ban the use of simple “I agree” statements. One requirement I’ll make is to have at least one post include a question. Then, students need to respond to the questions posted. Setting clear expectations up front helps to keep the conversations moving and the comments relevant. 

Other tips and tricks for discussion forums are shared in a recent blog in The Chronicle of Higher Education by Flower Darby. One in particular I want to highlight: Be present! At the beginning of the semester, I model my expectations of discussion posts by being present and asking students questions about their posts. Occasionally I’ll post something instructive or try to redirect a conversation, but for the most part, I want students to think deeper about a topic, so will ask questions. Trying to provide thoughtful comments  takes effort at the beginning of the semester. As time progresses, I can post fewer comments knowing that students will take over, modeling my behavior. 

Online discussion forums can be a powerful learning strategy. Structure them well from the start with advanced planning. 

• Decide on the purpose - what you want students to take away from the discussion. 

• Limit the number of threads to ensure robust conversations.

• Keep discussion going by setting expectations and by being present.

A little planning can go a long way to ensure students are engaged in discussion forums and take away the messages you want them to learn.  

Plan your next discussion forum by deciding on the purpose, the number of conversations, and the expectations. Then follow up by being present and modeling the behavior you want students to follow.

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