The document discusses including academic content in online discussion boards to boost student engagement. It argues that discussion boards should be the "heart" of the online class as they encourage active student participation and learning. It provides tips for both professors and students on making the most of discussion boards, such as having students upload images of their work, using equation editors and screen capture software to share academic content. The goal is to duplicate the rich classroom experience and build community through substantive discussion online.

1. Boost Engagement:
Include Academic
Content In Your Online
Discussions
by
Fred Feldon
January 2015

2. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

3. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

4. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

5. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Why are Discussion
Boards so important?
Why bother?

6. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Discussion should be
“the heart” of an
online (or face-to-face)
class!

7. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Keeps students engaged

8. One Week of a Student’s Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
Poh, Swenson & Picard, 2010
http://affect.media.mit.edu/
pdfs/10.Poh-etal-TBME-EDA-
tests.pdf

9. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Students take an active
role in their learning, which
increases success and retention

10. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog

11. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Anonymity and forethought
encourages participation

12. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Builds skills in communicating
mathematically

13. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
“There must be far less
telling on the part of the
teacher, and far more
doing on the part of the
student.” Jean Piaget

14. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Creates a sense of community

15. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Duplicates the interaction that
normally takes place in a classroom

16. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Builds technical skills

17. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Prepares students for “real life”

18. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
So, let’s get to it!

19. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

20. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

21. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

22. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

23. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

24. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

25. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

26. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
“Insert Symbol”

27. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

28. Screen Capture
Software

29. Screen Capture
Software
http://www.techsmith.com/jing

30. Add
“Embed HTML”
Button to Jing

31. Add
“Embed HTML”
Button to Jing

32. Add
“Embed HTML”
Button to Jing

33. Add
“Embed HTML”
Button to Jing

34. Add
“Embed HTML”
Button to Jing

35. Add
“Embed HTML” Button
to Jing

36. Add
“Embed HTML” Button
to Jing

37. Add
“Embed HTML” Button
to Jing

38. Capturing the
Embed Code

39. Capturing the
Embed Code

40. Capturing the
Embed Code

41. Capturing the
Embed Code

42. Capturing the
Embed Code

43. Pasting the Embed Code

44. Pasting the Embed Code
(New Design 2012+)

45. Pasting the Embed Code

46. Pasting the Embed Code
Warning: Your screen may look different if Pearson updates
the Discussion Board program…
“Insert Media”

47. Pasting the Embed Code

48. Pasting the Embed Code

49. Pasting the Embed Code

50. Pasting the Embed Code

51. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

52. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
“Math Equation Editor”

53. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
“Math Equation Editor”

54. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

55. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

56. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards

57. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
.
.
A picture’s
worth a
thousand
words!

58. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
• Use a scanner to capture your
handwriting
• Use your Cell Phone to take a picture
• Use the Print Screen button
• Use the Symbols pull-down menu
• Use the Insert Media button
• Use the Equation Editor

59. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Closing thoughts (for professors)…
• Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that integrates students
socially and academically into the course
• Allow enough wait time to ensure peer interaction and student self-
discovery
• Avoid omniscient overbearing or evaluative posts that inhibit future
participation
• Start a new conversation when one is stale or there’s a period of silence
(Add a relevant link to a current event, for example, post a funny comic
or an extra credit puzzle or problem)
• Model the behavior you are trying to elicit from students
• If the discussion board is boring for you, it will definitely be boring for
your students!
• Sustained interaction becomes a rich environment for critical thinking to
flourish

60. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Closing thoughts (for students)…
• Check the discussion board every time you log on to the course website; it
should be the first thing you do, the first place you go, before you do
anything else
• Read every new message before you post one; your question may have
already been asked and answered
• Learn how to get your academic content (your solution to a problem, for
example, or a question from the online homework) on the screen with
the print screen button, screen capture software, a webcam, a camera, your
cell phone camera, a printer/scanner, etc.
• Learn how to add arrows, boxes, text, highlighting, etc. to your image
• There is no “silly question.” What’s silly is not asking a question. The professor
and your fellow students will all appreciate it and learn something from it,
guaranteed!
• If someone answers your question be sure to thank them then “close the
loop” by saying you got it or ask for more help if you need it and continue
the discussion

61. Academic Content in
Discussion Boards
Closing thought (for everyone)…
Discussion forum dialogue has the
potential to be the most valuable
learning opportunity in the online
environment!

62. Thank You
ffeldon@coastline.edu
This presentation is available to download at
http://www.slideshare.net/ffeldon