Course Discussion: Purpose

It might be fun for students to dress up like clowns while they work, but will it help students address the course goals?

Before designing discussion assignments, ask yourself: What's the purpose of the discussion activity?

Forum assignments provide an environment where information and ideas can be shared and discussed. Start by examining your course goals and objectives.

Will a discussion help students:

• build a sense of community?
• explore course content?
• extend a course reading experience?
• share an experience or example that demonstrates understanding of course content?
• peer problem-solve?
• model course concepts?
• demonstrate a skill?
• practice a skill?
• collaborate to create a product that reflects course content?
• set goals or plan for a project?
• review the work of a peer?

Identify the goal of the experience:

• What will the student posting a message get out of the experience?
• What will the student reading a message get out of the experience?
• What will the student replying to a message posted by another student get out of the experience?
• What's the motivation for participation?
  

Connect Discussions to Course Content

As you begin designing assignments, think about ways to associate discussions with course materials.

Students could be asked to

• cite readings from inside and outside the course materials
• associate a personal experience with course content
• identify or invent an example or problem

Reminders!
Forums provide an environment for sharing and discussing information and ideas. Identify the purpose and goal of each discussion activity. Be sure to connect the discussion directly to course content.

Apply It!
Select a learning objective that could be addressed through the use of an online discussion.

Identify specific course content associated with with this objective.

---