There’s no hand-raising in an online classroom, no vigorous head-nodding when a classmate has made a great point. In a virtual class, there’s no chance to approach an instructor after a lecture to ask about the day’s discussion.
If online students want to have a real conversation about class material, they have one place to do it: the discussion board, a major component of most online courses.
“They are the best part of the classes,” says Paulina Erices, who is earning her online bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pennsylvania State University–World Campus. “The interaction on the discussion boards allows me to hear other people’s opinions. They have life experiences related to what we are studying and it is really interesting because it goes beyond what we are studying to what is happening in the field.”
When online discussion boards come together well, students can actually learn more from them than from other parts of class, instructors say. But getting the most out of a discussion board — and earning the high marks to show for it — isn’t easy.
Below, experts share tips for how to ace the discussion board component of online class.
[Read about one student’s online class discussion board experience.]
1. Read directions: The biggest key to doing well on a discussion board is simply reading the teacher’s instructions, says Noam Ebner, who leads the online graduate program in negotiation and conflict resolution at Creighton University’s law school. “Read the syllabus,” he says. “In the syllabus teachers often say straight out, ‘This is what we want.'”
Syllabuses typically outline how often to post, what to include in each contribution and the appropriate length of responses.
Students who disregard that advice do so at their own peril, says Andrea Reese, head of online studies at Daytona State College. She says sometimes students will answer questions correctly, but get docked points for going over the word count. “When they are surprised I say, ‘But are you really? Are you really surprised?'”
2. Say something substantive: While online instructors want to hear student opinions on discussion boards, they want those opinions to be backed up by facts. Citing sources from inside and out of class can cut back on plagiarism and make a student’s argument seem more legitimate, Reese says.
“I get the most points when I’m able to pull out even one journal article and use those references in my posts,” says Erices, who lives in Colorado with her husband and three children. “Even when it’s not required, it makes your point stronger.”
Students should also keep in mind that discussion boards are meant to be conversations, where each post builds on the previous comment.
“Good response posts are response posts that do not only agree or disagree,” says Ebner. “When you read another student’s post, you have the ability to expand the conversation.” To do that, students can reference material or, when appropriate, relate it to their own life experience, he says.
3. Don’t procrastinate: “Participate early and not at the deadline,” says Brian Redmond, a senior lecturer within the psychology department at Penn State. “If everybody participates at the deadline, the quality of the conversation is very, very surface level and doesn’t delve anywhere close to where it should be for a thoughtful and informative discussion.”
[Watch online students share time management tips.]
Erices, who always starts posting early, agrees. “I find that it’s so much easier to participate, but it’s also interesting — it becomes a learning experience,” she says. “You can then build onto others people’s comments and professors value that a lot.”
4. Ask a question if you’re confused: “Contact your instructor if you don’t understand what you are supposed to be doing,” says Reese, with Daytona State. “Don’t be influenced by others, they might not know what they are doing.”
Reese says sometimes she will post a question, only for it to be greeted with Internet silence. Online instructors may seem less approachable, she says, but they are really only an email away.
5. Review words for clarity and tone: Use text speak in a discussion post, and your instructor will not be LOL, experts say. Students should write in clear, complete sentences. Swear words, writing in all capital letters and using multiple exclamation points are off limits.
Students should read over their posts for tone to make sure they don’t offend their peers, Reese says. While an occasional, well-placed smiley face can be beneficial, “we don’t need cats and Popsicles,” she says.
[Discover four ways to make a good impression in online classes.]
If students are struggling to craft a well-written post, they can always reach out to a tutor or a writing center, experts say.
That’s what Erices, a native Spanish speaker originally from Chile, does when she struggles with English.
“There have been times when I posted something and the responses are totally off from what I was trying to say,” she says, laughing. “They will tell me if I’m writing something that doesn’t make sense.”
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5 Ways to Ace Discussion Board Assignments in an Online Class originally appeared on usnews.com
