Abstract
After teaching online for several semesters, I became increasingly frustrated with not seeing the value of having discussion board assignments. While I saw the value in having students engage with one another around certain topics, I felt like the loop was left open when it came to closing the discussion. In addition, my students were only required to respond to a limited number of their classmates during the discussion so they were not really getting a sound overview of the entire class discussion as they would in a traditional class. I decided to try something new. I began reading all of the discussion board posts (and replies) I would pull together common themes and common issues that arouse from the discussion. I would then write and send out a “summary paper” to the entire class about the discussion board for all students to read. I would clear up any misconceptions that I found in the discussion and would end the paper with a section on my thoughts on the topic. I would invite the students to further engage in the discussion with me if they were interested via email. My student’s response to this process was overwhelmingly positive. They enjoyed reading the synopsis of the discussion and expressed appreciation for learning my thoughts on the topic. It has become very clear that students want to receive feedback on the discussion and they really value the instructor’s viewpoints.
Keywords
Discussion Board, Closing the Loop, Online Discussions
Closing the Loop on Online Discussions
After teaching online for several semesters, I became increasingly frustrated with not seeing the value of having discussion board assignments. While I saw the value in having students engage with one another around certain topics, I felt like the loop was left open when it came to closing the discussion. In addition, my students were only required to respond to a limited number of their classmates during the discussion so they were not really getting a sound overview of the entire class discussion as they would in a traditional class. I decided to try something new. I began reading all of the discussion board posts (and replies) I would pull together common themes and common issues that arouse from the discussion. I would then write and send out a “summary paper” to the entire class about the discussion board for all students to read. I would clear up any misconceptions that I found in the discussion and would end the paper with a section on my thoughts on the topic. I would invite the students to further engage in the discussion with me if they were interested via email. My student’s response to this process was overwhelmingly positive. They enjoyed reading the synopsis of the discussion and expressed appreciation for learning my thoughts on the topic. It has become very clear that students want to receive feedback on the discussion and they really value the instructor’s viewpoints.
Keywords
Discussion Board, Closing the Loop, Online Discussions