Five Tips for Guiding Online Discussion Boards

By Cathy C. at Fordham University

Adults are busy people with multiple responsibilities and competing priorities. Online learning offers convenient and flexible learning opportunities to busy adults. An important component of quality online learning is the opportunity for learners to study, reflect, and dialogue. A discussion board provides an opportunity for rich reflection and dialogue.

How does an educator or trainer guide a quality discussion board experience? The following five tips address how to set a foundation and guide quality discussion.

Tip One: Set clear expectations. Set clear expectations about the quantity, quality, and timeliness of online discussion board participation. For example, learners can be expected to respond to reflect and respond to two questions by the end of the week, and read and respond to two learners’ posts. Stress quality over quantity and caution against posts that are too lengthy and not read friendly.

Tip Two: Craft meaningful questions. Use a variety of questions to provoke thought and response on the discussion board. Ask about prior experiences, which are very important to adult learners and can add valuable practical experience to other learners. Provide a case study. Ask a “what if” question. Prompt learners to describe how they will apply a new idea or concept in their context. Well crafted questions lead to more meaningful discussion board interaction.

Tip Three: Too little or too much discussion. Praise in public and guide in private. Reinforce positive discussion board behavior with praise. Address learners who are not participating and participating too little privately, reviewing expectations and encouraging participation. If needed, ask direct questions. On the other hand, if a learner is dominating the discussion board, reach out privately and provide guidance around quantity, quality, and composition.

Tip Four: Guiding the discussion back on track. Sometimes learners can take a discussion board off topic. Use questioning to guide the learners back to the main topic. If for example, they focus on not having needed resources. Ask them what they would do if they had the resources? And, ask them what they can do now, with available resources, until that time.

Tip Five: Stumped? Ask a question! Finally, I’ll share my secret in life…when I’m stumped, I ask a question! I end-up gaining valuable additional information and buy myself some time to think and respond. Who, what, where, when, how, and why will move the discussion along.

Discussion boards are a powerful online learning tool for reflection and dialogue. So, set clear expectations, craft meaningful questions, praise in public and guide in private, guide the discussion back on track, and if stumped – ask a question! Your learners will learn from you and each other. And, you’ll learn, too!