Creating engaging discussion forum questions might seem challenging at first, but it doesn’t have to be. As the instructor, you’re the expert in your field, drawing from both your academic background and real-world experience. You’re surrounded by colleagues with their own wealth of knowledge. With so many resources at your disposal, the real question isn’t “What should I ask my students?” but rather, “What shouldn’t I ask?”
Here are some tips to help you develop discussion forum questions that will engage your students and foster meaningful conversations.
Writing a Discussion Question
Determine the Objective
Before developing a discussion question, first consider what you want students to achieve. Are you looking for them to connect weekly concepts to their studies or future careers? Perhaps you want them to reflect on broader topics like math anxiety or cultural diversity. Or maybe your goal is to have them tackle a specific problem that can be approached in various ways. Once you’ve identified the objective, you can tailor your question to guide students toward that goal.
Determine the Type of Question
After defining your objective, decide on the type of question that will best help students meet it. The way you phrase your question can make or break the effectiveness of the discussion.
For example, if Dr. Stanfield wants her students to discuss how learning about compound interest affects retirement savings, she should avoid asking them to simply define compound interest. A poorly worded question like “Define compound interest and explain how it works in retirement savings” will likely lead students to focus on definitions rather than engaging in a deeper discussion about its impact. Instead, carefully choose the type of question that aligns with your objective.
Here are some effective types of questions for discussion forums:
- Exploratory question: Ask students to explain a concept or process in their own words. This helps gauge their understanding of key concepts.
- Challenge Question: Have students reflect on a complex issue and form an opinion. This type of question encourages critical thinking and constructive dialogue and are best suited for issues that don”t have a clear-cut answer or where debate exists.
- Relational Question: Encourage students to relate and compare a course concept to real-life scenarios. This helps them see the practical application of what they’re learning.
- Diagnostic Question: Present an incorrect solution and ask students to analyze the problem, identify the problematic areas, and correct the errors. This promotes comprehension of a particular concept and problem-solving.
- Action Question: Ask students to solve a problem with multiple possible solutions. This tests their comprehension and problem-solving skills. It is best to have them all post their response before following up on other posts.
- Summary Question: Have students summarize the key concepts from the week. This helps reinforce their learning and ensures they understand the main ideas.
- Other types of questions include cause-and-effect questions, extension questions, hypothetical questions, and priority questions.
Engage the Students
Once you’ve determined the type of question to use, you’re ready to write the discussion forum prompt. When writing a prompt, first create a brief introduction that provides context for the question, explains your purpose, and outlines expectations.This introduction is crucial—it gives students a reason to engage with the topic. Let’s consider Professor Marsh’s discussion forum on math anxiety as an example.
Instead of simply asking, “What is math anxiety? Define and explain,” Professor Marsh could share some observations from her experience as a teacher to provide context. She could then ask students to engage in a broader discussion, like whether math anxiety is a real phenomenon or just imagined. By setting the stage and clarifying her expectations, Professor Marsh would encourage richer, more thoughtful student responses. After introducing the question, Professor Marsh needs to determine what type of question she wants to ask and then set forth her expectations for the students. In doing so, Professor Marsh reduces the need for students to guess what they must do to fulfill the assignment requirements. After tweaking her discussion question, Professor Marsh improved her discussion forum to give students better direction and encourage higher quality dialogue.
Certain words, when uttered before students, wield significant power. These words do not discriminate, striking fear in the hearts of even the most academically astute. Fail, essay exam, and research paper are such words. They pale in comparison, however, to the one word that induces nausea, cold sweat, and rapid heartbeat in students nationwide. What is that one word, mighty in clout and unyielding in power? Math.
I have taught Algebra I at the high school and college levels for more than 14 years, and in my experience, I have found that most students have dealt with some level of fear when it comes to math, particularly algebra and higher.
At the beginning of every new term, I ask a series of questions to gauge where my students are regarding math, including: Who of you tried to change your schedule when you saw that you had to take math? Who of you groaned or became upset when you saw math on your schedule? Who of you have put off math until you absolutely had to take it?
It is safe to say that in almost every class I’ve taught, the majority of students raised their hands to one of these questions. But why? Why is there such animosity toward math?
Math anxiety is a fairly common term in academic circles. In short, math anxiety is any form of anxiety that results from mathematics. The students who raise their hands to my questions all exhibit some form of math anxiety.
In this discussion forum, I want you to discuss the following about math anxiety:
• How do you define math anxiety?
• What are some causes of math anxiety?
• What are some tips for overcoming math anxiety?
• In your opinion, is math anxiety real, or is it imagined?Support your answer.
You are encouraged to reference a minimum of two sources to inform your work in this post. You must write in complete sentences, and your post must contain a minimum of 300 words. You also need to reply to at least two of your classmates’ responses; your replies should be substantive and contain a minimum of 150 words each.
Note how Professor Marsh’s discussion forum is specific and purposeful. She sets up the question with an introduction that hooks the students, provides her experience to set the context, and then asks two types of questions to engage the students (exploratory for the first three questions and a challenge question for the fourth). Professor Marsh then provides her expectations for the discussion forum.
Assess the Question
Drafting your discussion forum in your course doesn’t mean that your work is complete. To ensure your questions are effective, assess how students respond. Are their answers yes-or-no? Are they all saying the same thing? If you’re teaching several sections of a course in the same term, then by the end of the term, you should have a good sample from which to assess your question’s effectiveness. If you’re teaching only one section of a course during the term, then wait until you’ve taught the course at least twice before determining the question’s effectiveness.
When you’re ready to review your discussion question, look for the following:
- Yes–no answers: Do students’ answers tend to be yes- or no-type answers? If so, your question is more than likely close-ended; its wording doesn’t require students to elaborate on their answers. Rephrase the question so that students are forced to provide detailed answers.
- Purely factual answers: Are students’ answers very similar to each other? If so, the question is more than likely worded such that students are relaying an answer they found in the course lecture or reading.
Don’t assume that poor student responses are the result of poor attitudes or work ethic on the part of the students. Although this may be the case for a handful of students, the quality of student responses tends to reflect how well the discussion question is formulated. Your expectations for student involvement should be reflected in the quality of the discussion question.
Be Involved
Even the best-crafted discussion questions need your involvement to be truly effective. If you’re not active in the forums, your students might not be either. Your presence in the discussions shows students that their input matters and encourages them to participate more fully.
Discussion forums are more than just another assignment; they’re an opportunity to share your knowledge, emphasize key concepts, and encourage deeper learning. So, embrace them as a chance to inspire your students to reflect, discover, and grow.
References
Davis, B (1993). Tools for teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass drafters.
