Discussions

Using discussion forums is a typical form of learner-learner engagement used in asynchronous, online courses. Discussion as an activity in an online environment looks different, certainly, than it does in an in-person context. However, both have principles in common. Both involve contributing ideas, responding to or posing questions, replying to others’ comments and questions, and listening, in the form of reading the posts submitted by others. In designing a discussion activity, it’s best to first consider your course outcomes and assessments.

In addition to engaging learners in discussions as an activity, you can assess student learning through discussion boards, as well. Brightspace analytics provides information on the number of posts and threads that a student creates and replies to, but that doesn’t equate to quality. When deciding how you want to grade discussion, you must consider how you want to structure the course discussions.

Will you be grading based on the correctness of a post?

This might mean that you’ll ask a question and expect learners to post similar correct responses. In this case, a discussion forum acts more like a short answer test than a prompt to facilitate learner-learner collaboration.

Will you be grading based on the quantity of learner posts?

The quantity of posts can be determined through Brightspace analytics, but this doesn’t account for the depth of the contributions. This might be a good method for an Introductions Forum, where you want learners to read through as many posts as possible to get to know their peers and a substantive contribution to the discussion isn’t required.

Will you be grading based on the quality of contributions and sustained participation?

This is generally the most meaningful use of discussion boards but can also be the most time consuming for learners and instructors. Rubrics are handy for managing consistent grading and should be provided to learners, along with examples of exemplary engagement and the goal or purpose of the discussion, on the first day of the course.

It's important to be intentional when you create a discussion board assessment. Students need to understand what's expected of them, how participation contributes to their learning, and how they can succeed.

You can integrate a rubric into a discussion topic. Using a rubric for assessing discussions can be helpful for students to understand the expectations for creating quality posts. It can also help instructors and Teaching Assistants manage the amount of time that goes into marking and assessing discussion forms.