It is often a good idea to compose discussion posts in Word and then copy/paste them to the online discussion. Not every post, of course, but, let’s say you’ve spent a … [Read more...]
Designing Discussions
Online discussions are great. They help students develop community with their fellow learners, they let them explore a topic deeper than they could have by themselves, … [Read more...]
Role-Playing Discussions
There are a few different ways to jazz up your discussions – role playing, debates, interviews, case studies, jigsaws, etc. A few of these will be discussed on this blog … [Read more...]
Discussions and Instructor Presence
Discussions are the most powerful and prolific tools we have in asynchronous online learning to foster community. This is a key location for inserting instructor presence … [Read more...]
Making the Most of Your First Few Weeks
It's that time of year again! Eager students are figuring out who you are and what they're going to learn in your course. You're reading and meaningfully responding their … [Read more...]
Importance of Introductions
One of your first activities in your courses is also one of the most important: introductions. Students in our courses are asked to introduce themselves during the first … [Read more...]
Tips to make the most of student introduction activities
I’m always so excited at the beginning of a new semester. My desk is organized. Everything is ready to go in my online course. I’m just waiting for the students to login … [Read more...]