Engaging students in an online environment can be a bit different than a traditional classroom setting, but that doesn’t mean it has to be less interactive or meaningful. Online classrooms often bring together a more diverse group of learners, especially adult learners, who thrive with different teaching strategies. Plus, since discussions happen asynchronously, you may find the conversation can feel disjointed at times. And if you’ve ever used the “post first, reply to two comments” discussion model, you might notice it can get a little stale. Luckily, there are plenty of alternative discussion strategies you can use to liven things up!
Require Students to Post First
When students see everyone else’s posts before writing their own, responses can start to sound the same. By setting your discussion forum to require students to post before viewing others’ answers, you encourage original thought and discourage unintentional repetition. If you still notice similar responses, it might be a sign that the question is too narrow. Review your discussion question and broaden the scope of your questions to invite a wider range of perspectives.
Use Forums for Project Feedback
Why not use forums as a space for students to workshop parts of their projects? Encourage students to upload drafts of their papers, presentations, or videos for peer feedback. This creates a collaborative environment where students can ask specific questions like, “Does this introduction grab your attention?” or “Does anyone know additional resources on this topic?” This practice gives students the opportunity to learn from their peers’ work, and it also inspires students to think about a wider audience as they work on their projects. Students are often much more motivated by having an audience of their peers rather than just their instructor. If several students are facing the same challenges, it might signal that the material needs a bit more clarification.
Share Final Projects for Feedback
Final projects are often packed with great insights, but in most cases, only instructors get to see them. Have students submit their final projects to the discussion forum instead of directly to you. This gives everyone the chance to see each other’s work and provide feedback. Whether students upload files or share videos of themselves presenting, this peer review process mirrors the dynamic of an in-person classroom. This not only allows students to learn from each other but also motivates them to produce their best work, knowing they’ll have a larger audience.
Student-led Discussions
To encourage higher-level thinking and more organic discussion, have students post their questions for discussion as the original post and then moderate other students’ responses to it. This type of assignment forces students to think about the material on a deeper level because they must figure out how to assess and respond to questions on the material. It also allows you, the instructor, to see what students are most interested in or confused about.
Use Multimedia Tools
Who says online discussions have to be limited to text? Try posting a video to spark a discussion, and encourage students to reply with their own videos. You could also have students create and share infographics or other multimedia as a forum response. This approach taps into Universal Design for Learning, catering to visual and auditory learners and adding variety to the forum interactions. This technique taps into Universal Design for Learning because it will appeal to your visual or auditory learners as well.
Just remember to be mindful of accessibility—ensure that any multimedia content is available in formats all students can use.
Turn Forums into Exam Study Groups
Discussion forums can double as virtual study groups. Before an exam, create a forum with key topics and encourage students to collaborate, share resources, and ask questions. You can jump in to clarify any confusing concepts before the big day.
Host Small Group Debates
Sometimes, breaking students into smaller groups helps create more meaningful conversations. You can also assign roles for debates on opposing sides of an issue, prompting students to research, defend their stance, and engage with counterpoints. This structure encourages critical thinking and deeper engagement than a standard “post and reply” format.
Try Role-Playing Exercises
Role-playing is a great way to bring the material to life. For example, in a course that focuses on client or patient care, students could record videos explaining treatments based on hypothetical case studies. Or in a history class, students could reply to discussion threads as historical figures, sparking lively debates between characters like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
This kind of immersive exercise is a great way to promote participation in the discussion, students can apply course concepts in a practical, meaningful way and can lead to some really engaging conversations.
Conclusion
Although we often think of discussion forums as venues for simple question-and-answer interactions, they actually offer instructors a wide variety of opportunities to promote engagement in online classrooms. Whether through simple fixes such as changing the forum settings or through creative assignments such as presentations and role-playing, these changes can lead to better student interaction, higher retention of course material, and ultimately, a more satisfying learning experience for everyone involved.
Resources
Kelly, R. (2014, March 7). Discussion board assignments: Alternatives to the question-and-answer format. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/discussion-board-assignments-alternatives-question-answer-format/
Rhode, J. (2014, May 12). How to write engaging questions for online forums [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://facdevblog.niu.edu/how-to-write-engaging-questions-for-online-forums
Riggs, S. A., & Linder, K. E. (2016, December). Actively engaging students in asynchronous online classes. Retrieved from https://www.ideaedu.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/IDEA%20Papers/IDEA%20Papers/PaperIDEA_64.pdf
