Online Discussions: Would Changing the Environment Help?

Many blank, pale blue speech bubbles forming a cloud
Online discussions aren’t a new thing anymore; they regularly occur in online courses and courses with online components. What we’ve learned for sure: they’re a mixed bag. On the plus side, they make participation safer. Students can make a post, walk away, and not worry about nonverbal, face-to-face feedback. Comments are written, which means there’s more time to craft a thoughtful response and more opportunities to work on writing skills. The discussion has permanence. Student comments stay put for the duration of the exchange. The whole interaction can be reviewed and analyzed in great depth. When students are assigned to respond to comments, that ups the chances of peers learning from each other. And the discussion can occur asynchronously.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
Geniuses are inherently fascinating. The notion that a lucky few have innate abilities to push the boundaries of...
Teachers focus on developing students’ conscious learning and understanding of concepts, but there is a whole other dimension...
While much of online learning occurs through discussion board conversations, it can be challenging for students to offer...
“Why does my edition of Hamlet read ‘O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,’” my student...
After all, nearly every large language model (LLM) is good at summarizing readings, synthesizing large amounts of data...
In 1906, Francis Galton was visiting a livestock fair when he stumbled upon an interesting contest. Local villagers...

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and select newsletters

Login here

Get unlimited access to The Teaching Professor

Stay informed. Subscribe Now.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Teaching Professor

You only have  free article views remaining.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 a month thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.