Using a Discussion Board: Tips, Techniques, and Pedagogical Rationles

Overview

The Discussion Board is a feature that allows students to post text or other media and interact with each other and the instructor (if desired) asynchronously. Students have access 24/7. A discussion can be graded easily using the speedgrader function. Discussions can be used for a full class or small groups. The focus for a discussion can be content or task related. Generally, discussion is broken down into time or task increments. For example, discussion is often weekly on specific readings. Discussion can be structured with specific rules, tasks, grades, and deadlines or free form. Structured graded discussion is much more likely to draw student's attention and is a better learning tool.

This is discussion Board in Canvas

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Executive Summary

Discussion Boards can also be used for graded group activities, as presentation forums with feedback capability, and as a source of peer support for more complex tasks such as research papers. For the instructor, a discussion board is a tool that can increase compliance for class preparation without resorting to quizzes (although they can be used in conjunction with quizzes). The key to a good discussion is a clear prompt to start off the discussion period. There are a variety of ways to structure a prompt. Successful prompts include; 4/4; quotes; concepts; and questions. Another strategy for using a discussion board is to provide a space where students can discuss other assignments such as papers or research projects. The structured opportunity for students to work out their ideas, ask questions of peers, process anxiety, and address complex problems can greatly improve understanding, satisfaction, and the quality of submitted work. It us useful to use the discussion boards to acclimate students to the technology and each other and get a picture of who your students are by starting the term with an introduction assignment.

As we know, students can be very clever and opportunistic in "interpreting" assignment rules. The idea of discussion board is to simulate a discussion albeit in slow motion. This involves pacing and multiple visits by students. If you do not impose some basic rules students tend to show up once near the end of the discussion period, post several times, and then leave. While the idea of a freeform discussion space is conceptually attractive, generally students do not participate if there are not points/grade involved and this requires some structure. Discussion can be graded in a variety of ways depending on how you intend to use it pedagogically or the value you wish it to have as a percentage of the grade for a course. Typically, online courses will weigh discussion more heavily than a hybrid or traditional co-located course. Discussion can be a regular feature or attached to a specific task or assignment as needed. Its flexibility increases its utility as a learning and assessment tool. In Canvas, discussion may be graded using a rubric that assigns points via the speedgrader feature.

When to use a Discussion Board

Discussion Boards can be used in all modes of teaching: tradition twice a week collocated classes; hybrid or flipped courses (half online have collocated); or all online courses. In classes that do meet physically, a discussion board can be used to off-load certain discussion when there is little or no in-class time to complete it. For example, to help students prepare for more complex in class discussion, an activity, or to facilitate understanding of complex concepts or tasks. Because they are text based, online discussion have a higher degree of detail and allow for more complex interactions because participants have the opportunity for reflection or even further research.

Discussion Boards can also be used for graded group activities, public display of student work as a learning aid,as presentation forums with feedback capability, and as a source of peer support for more complex tasks such as research papers.

Of course, for online courses discussion is the primary interactive space. This is where students "meet" and the instructor has group access with the ability to interact with students. Discussion in online classes establishes an important sense of presence for both students and instructors and keeps everyone engaged and accountable to learning community.

Why use a Discussion Board?

For the instructor, a discussion board is a tool that can increase compliance for class preparation without resorting to quizzes (although they can be used in conjunction with quizzes).

Using a Canvas discussion board brings four benefits to students understanding course material. The first is that they get to apply course concepts. The second is that students are very peer conscious and are loath to under-perform to their peers, since everyone can see their posts. Third, unlike in class discussion, there is time and space for everyone to speak and respond. No one is interrupted, and no one can monopolize the time. Finally, it allows students to interact and build relationships in a safe and low stress environment. For instructors, it allows for selective interaction to address specific questions or praise insightful comments, to focus students on particular prompts, and it makes discussion easy to grade especially using the speedgrader function.

Discussion capabilities include:

Set for specific start and end dates
Embed links and media including instant video
Easily identify participants
Easy to grade with feedback and automatically enter in gradebook
Can also grade simply by button click (credit/no credit or meet basic parameters)
Obviously, for ELL/ESL students who may have better writing than speaking skills or DRC students who may have speaking impediments, it is can be a great outlet.

A structured discussion can be constructed to meet specific instructional goals. Let's look at reading compliance and understanding. Students need to be able to apply and/or think about the content and discuss it with peers.

Types of Structured Discussion

The key to a good discussion is a clear prompt to start off the discussion period. There are a variety of ways to structure a prompt. Successful prompts include; 4/4; quotes; concepts; and questions.

4/4: Interesting and Important

This prompt is more of a reading review and is particularly effective in preparing students for class meetings by ensuring they not only do the readings but have thought about the important elements and what they found interesting and why. This provides two points of access for students to engage the readings. Students compile a list of four important items and four interesting items and what makes them interesting and important. Usually used one per week or reading period.

Advantages: ease of grading, easy for students to understand, and is complex enough to encourage a careful reading and discourage "cherry picking" items through light skimming.

Disadvantages: does not engage in more complex ideas or concepts. Does not work as well with shorter readings. This is suitable only for reading-based activities.

Example using 4/4 approach for a hybrid course

Here is an example of how I use structured discussion in a hybrid course that meets on Thursdays at noon. Since “noon” is when they come to class I use it as a deadline. It could just as easily be midnight or any other time. So the schedule is based on prep period of Monday to Thursday when the class meets. Again, this discussion must be completed prior to coming to class to earn points.

Tuesday at noon: students post a reading review of the material. This also functions as a collective study guide for the quizzes. The reading review consists of 4 items they find important and 4 items they find interesting and the reason why. Thus giving them a framework to this about the material in terms of interest and importance.

Two replies, any day/time, as long as they are 12 hours apart

I also offer nominal extra credit if the reading review is posted by Monday at noon.

Quotable Quotes

This prompt is also geared toward reading review, comprehension, and application. Students select a specific quote they find meaningful from the text and explain why is resonates with them and apply to an example for their own lives. Usually used two or more times per reading period.

Advantages: moderately easy to grade, engages students on a deeper level, good for application of course concepts.

Disadvantages: prone to cherry picking of quotes or simply using quotes from other students as their prompt. Application to own life can be superficial.

Concepts

This prompt can be used for reading review or more complex materials or tasks, events, or observations. Students select a concept they find compelling and explore it in detail. Can be made more specific and "gradable" by requiring page numbers for the course of the prompt when used for readings. Usually used two or more times per reading period.

Advantages: moderately easy to grade, flexible since the same basic format can be used for a variety of materials, and engages students in deeper comprehension and application of the materials.

Disadvantages: concepts can be vague or simplistic as can the discussion. Can be prone to tangents and padding.

Example using concept approach for an online course

Online course discussion allows for much more flexibility in scheduling because student do not physically meet and weeks tend to run to seven days since student who take online courses often work on weekends. Still, it is good avoid to many weekend based dues dates.

Questions

This is a specific question or problem or issue that students must answer. This prompt is scalable by requiring more or less specific criteria for student's answers. Requiring specific elements can make it more gradable. Usually used two or more times per reading period.

Advantages: potential for easier grading, flexible since the same basic format can be used for a variety of materials, and engages students in deeper comprehension and application of the materials.

Disadvantages: depending on the specific application and its complexity could be prone to students basing posts on other student's materials or student confusion.

Study Guides

One use of a discussion board is as a public submission area for required and graded tasks. That is, if student's collective contributions help their peers. Of course, grading and grades are still private using the speedgrader function. In this case there no interaction, just a public display. For example, students can post content that contributes to a collective study guide for quizzes or exams. I have used the 4/4 Interesting and Important format as way for students to contribute to such a study guide.

Group Work

Discussions can be used as group assignments (for details on using groups see Student Groups And Group Assignments). This allows smaller collections of students to interact when full class discussions are too unwieldy. For example, posting summaries/videos of work and having peers ask and answer questions. By creating groups and making a discussion a group assignment Canvas will create identical group discussion boards that can only be seen by those students in that group.

Assignment or Project Discussion

Another strategy for using a discussion board is to provide a space where students can discuss other assignments such as papers or research projects. The structured opportunity for students to work out their ideas, ask questions of peers, process anxiety, and address complex problems can greatly improve understanding, satisfaction, and the quality of submitted work. More experienced/engaged peers can greatly increase comprehension. Students state they find this exercise to be very helpful in comprehension and reducing stress. It also encourages students to, at the very least, start thinking about an assignment ahead of its due date. It also provides instructors a window into student perspectives and process and allows for early intervention in students misunderstanding instructions or the purpose/conceptual frame of an assignment. Moreover, it can be a useful diagnostic tool for assignment design and display. The role of social support by both peers and the instructor cannot be underestimated. It is less confusing if an instructor uses the same basic schedule as other structured discussion such as described above. In that case, I require a primary post on major issues, concerns, or tips and two replies to others posts. Quite often students post more than is required.

Finally, discussion boards can be used as a more complex and detailed “ice breaker” at the start of the term. For example, offering extra credit for introducing themselves and responding to a peer’s introduction. This is particularly useful in hybrid courses with limited physical meeting times. Also, at the end of the term it can provide a forum for processing the course and providing suggestions for improvement. For example, I ask students to provide 3 things they liked about the course, and three things they did not like or ideas for improving it, and a piece of advice for future students. I take selected advice and include it in my future courses (usually as part of an orientation workshop) as peers take each others' advice more seriously then an instructor's!

Presentation and Discussion

Discussion Boards can also be a presentation space for projects using text, slides, embedded YouTube video, or the native video recording feature on Canvas, or other multimedia. It is as simple as starting a project based discussion board and have students respond using general comments or feedback or specific structured comments or feedback depending on the assignment design. Students can just directly comment, interact with each other, and interact with the presenters. Note that the expectation of what is required must be clear otherwise students tend to not act.

Introductions and Assessment

It us useful to use the discussion boards to acclimate students to the technology and each other and get a picture of who your students are by starting the term with an introduction assignment. I usually ask them to post an introduction of themselves to the class and one reply to another introduction. For online classes I respond in some way to every introduction post to establish a relationship and project presence into the class space. Usually this is for 5-10 points of extra credit.

At the end of the course I also ask students to provide feedback on what they liked and disliked about the course - 3 things they liked and 3 things they disliked, felt should be eliminated, or any ideas for the course - followed by a piece of advice for future students. I have received some great ideas this way. Students are pretty honest about how they feel. I also use that "peer advice" for future classes since students are more likely to take that advice than my own. Usually this is for 5-10 points of extra credit.

Basic Rules for a Functional Graded Discussion Board

As we know, students can be very clever and opportunistic in "interpreting" assignment rules.

The idea of discussion board is to simulate a discussion albeit in slow motion. This involves pacing and multiple visits by students. If you do not impose some basic rules students tend to show up once near the end of the discussion period, post several times, and then leave.

While the idea of a free-form discussion space is conceptually attractive, generally students do not participate if there are not points/grade involved and this requires some structure.

Based on years of experience and consultation with many experienced instructors here are some basic discussion rules:

Beginning and an end: Discussion boards should be for set time periods to focus students on the task(s).
Deadlines: set specific deadlines when students need to complete their posts. This will ensure pacing and keep the discussion from backing up at the end of the discussion period.
Deadline strategies: Since assignments have one deadline, and open, and a close date. Have the board open and close for the time period, but set the deadline for the first major content post due date. This encourages compliance and makes for easier grading.
Clearly designate the purpose of posts: generally this done by content posts as described above and replies to other students. Reply posts are critical because it gets students to read each others posts. It is where the "discussion" comes from but this will not happen unless students are directed to do it.
Require students to post before seeing other students posts: Canvas allows you to set the discussion board so students must post content before seeing other students posts. This eliminates most "social loafing" where students read other students posts instead of the readings themselves. It also results in longer and more detail initial posts.
Posting time separation: to keep students from dumping a batch of posts all at once, it is useful to require a minimum time separation in hours. If it is per day, then students will post right before and after midnight. I suggest 12 hours, which is long enough to encourage more interaction opportunities but short enough that enterprising students can post twice at either end of one day. For grading, 12 hours is easy to calculate quickly. This is best reserved for primary content posts while leaving reply posts open to replying at any time.
Minimum word count: to avoid low to no content micro posts such as "Yeah, I totally agree" you will want to include a minimum word count. Instructors are able to quickly "eyeball" what that specific number is but you can always copy and paste into a word document for an official word count. 150 words per post is not very long but long enough to increase the likelihood of meaning content.
Consider extra credit: to encourage earlier interaction you may wish to consider some extra credit for posting early. Usually setting the first post a day early. This satisfies those A students and quickly becomes a game for others to post to get those points. Students pick up on this game quickly. I have reduced my extra credit points to just 2 per week (20-30 points possible on 1000 point scale). It is the idea as opposed to the number. Another option is to include an Exceptional Post category in the rubric and award a few points to students who perform above-and-beyond what is required (see #8 Building Extra Credit Right Into Rubrics Without Screwing Up Your Point Spread).
Set hard rules on extra credit! I require that students complete all posts in order to ear extra credit. This means no posts that violate any of the rules. Otherwise students will not post one post but try for extra credit to take less of an overall loss (seriously).

Grading Tips

Discussion can be graded in a variety of ways depending on how you intend to use it pedagogically or the value you wish it to have as a percentage of the grade for a course. Typically, online courses will weigh discussion more heavily than a hybrid or traditional co-located course. Discussion can be a regular feature or attached to a specific task or assignment as needed. Its flexibility increases its utility as a learning and assessment tool.

In Canvas, discussion may be graded using a rubric that assigns points via the speedgrader feature. You can add as many criteria as you wish and attach points to each one as needed. If you set the speedgrader to do so, points automatically go into the grade column as you grade and the student is notified. You may withhold notification and grades appearing if you wish via the "mute" feature. Un-mute and grades record. You have the option of credit/no credit where if a student does the assignment, you can assign the points by clicking each criterion. If a more nuanced approach is required, you could manually enter grades and comments. If you choose the option, speedgrader will "remember" specific regularly comments which may be selected via a pull down menu. The system will not remember comments outside that specific assignment. As a rule, students will not participate in discussion if it is not graded (equals points), but will post for relatively few points (eg. 5 points per post on 1000 point class scale).

You can also make "comments" via a comment box with attached files or embedded video for which students see a different prompt. Students can also respond to these prompts allowing instructors to provide additional feedback.

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The key to good discussion rubric is simplicity. Keep the criteria to a minimum. Since there is likely be multiple posts, it is easiest to assign each required post one criterion and then specific criteria for that one post. For example, the Reading Review post discussed earlier. There is single criterion in the speedgrader grader rubric ("Reading Review") and specific requirements for it ("Each student must identify the 4 most important aspects of each reading and the 4 most interesting findings, facts, concepts, etc. Include the reason WHY it is interesting/important. Do not simply transcribe sections of the text."). The total points available (10) are awarded based on the quality or the post, missing elements, etc. as you decide. For simplicity and speed, I usually set points based on basic elements that I can quickly scan and limit values to 10, 8, 5, or 0.

To encourage quality posts, I suggested an "Outstanding" (eg 10/10) category for full points per post followed by a "Meets Requirements" (eg8/10). Again, the complexity of the assessment is based on pedagogical need. To get interaction I recommend requiring and awarding points to reply messages. These usually have a basic requirement and either scored 0 or 5 points (again on a 1000 point scale). This is an example of an open comment rubric where points are assigned manually and extensive comments made.

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This is example of an automated rubric, where you may select the box and than assigns the grade. By Selecting the green “text balloon under the point box you can leave comments. Here I prefer to set the full points as “Outstanding” to differentiate from the exceptional rather than the ordinary post.

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Note the green "bubble" below the points field. Select this and a dialog box will appear and you can leave more detailed feedback.

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Students will push boundaries on deadlines and other criteria if they know the cost is minimal. Therefore, I usually provide broad latitude the first two weeks on basic criteria such as word length, posting deadlines, and required content and providing correcting feedback via the separate comments box so they make sure to see it. After that, low word count or failure to meet deadlines draws a zero. While this is bit harsh, it quickly trains students and simplifies grading. If strictly applied early, most students develop habits to ensure posts earn points. The tighter and more fine grained the feedback early in the term, the better the performance and, again, and the easier posts are to grade later in the term.

Canvas Guides on Discussion

Video Introduction

Also see:

What are Discussions?

How do I start a Discussion?

How do I edit a Discussion topic?

How do I set up a graded Discussion?

How can I require students to post to a Discussion before they see replies?

How do I add content to my Discussion?

How do I insert an image file in a Discussion reply?