This document provides information about a workshop on engaging students in dynamic discussions in the Brightspace learning management system. The workshop uses an Edcamp model where participants help create the agenda and share strategies for leading interactive online discussions. Some strategies discussed include incorporating web 2.0 tools, using small groups, asking open-ended higher-order thinking questions, and providing guidelines and rubrics for participation and assessment. Participants are also invited to share what works for engaging students based on their experiences.

1. Dynamic Discussions in
D2L Brightspace
Still a core component of a
dynamic and constructivist
online course!

2. Discussion Leaders
Introductions
Professor Kris Nei
 Assistant Professor,
Bemidji State University
 PEDL Coordinator
(Professional Education
Distributed Learning)
 DLiTE and FasTrack
Dr. Michelle Beach
 Associate Professor,
Southwest Minnesota State
University
 Former Director, Early
Childhood Distance
Education

3. Workshop Description
This session will be conducted in the Edcamp model. Participants will
create the agenda "on the spot" and contribute and participate in sharing
and examining ideas and strategies for engaging students in true dynamic
and constructivist discussion as the core to an interactive online course.
The presenters will share strategies as well as invite other participants to
share their individual strategies.
Participants may choose to listen, discuss, and/or share new or "old tried
and true" instructional strategies for dynamic and engaging instruction
centering on discussions in D2L.

4.  Build Community and Participation – Instructors and
Students as “real people”
 Promote Collaboration - achieve deeper levels of
knowledge generation
 “…promote initiative, creativity, and the development of
critical thinking skills.”
 Reduce feelings of isolation
(Palloff and Pratt, 2013)
Why Asynchronous Discussions?

5.  Potentially More Coherent
 Written Record for Future Reference
 Demands Individual Participation
 Differentiation for Individual Schedule Demands
(Thormann and Zimmerman, 2012)
Why Asynchronous?

6.  Provides Accessibility and Access:
Asynchronous discussion allows more time for students
to read, think about, and construct answers;
Asynchronous discussion accommodates for students
who may have learning disabilities, low vision or blind,
and/or physical, health and mobility disabilities.
(Beach & Bagne, 2013; 2015 )
Why Asynchronous?

7. The following is from an unsolicited email received by
a student in Summer 2014.
I can't recall a course where I learned so much, in fact, I
haven't come close to learning everything that you all have
brought to this course. You are an amazing, talented group
of teachers. Its going to take me a while to synthesize
everything, but you have set a very high standard and
provided a pretty good roadmap to get there.
I would like to ask if any of you would be willing to continue
mentoring me beyond this course. I have created a google
group BSU Mentors. If you would like to participate go to the
link below and fill out the request.
What Students Have to Say-
On Collaboration and Creating A
Learning Community

8. This from an email from a colleague enrolled in the course
and written in response to the previous message:
I have to admit that the discussion questions (when I found
that I couldn't wait to turn on my computer to see if there
were any new posts and jump in far beyond minimal
requirements) changed my mind as far as the potential and
the value of the discussion board. I think what I need to do is
to reach deeper for questions that students really want to
know and talk about. I have been following the directions
and setting up issues "correctly," but somehow I need to get
students totally involved and interested like we did in your
class. I think it is the transition between "your" assignment to
"my discussion with my colleagues." Once the student makes
the leap, that's when you have transformational learning.
What Students Have to say –
On Creating Community

9.  GoogleDocs - Additive Whole Group Slideshow
Each Student Prepares one Slide with Information
 GoogleDocs – Cooperative Color-Coded
 GoogleDocs - Collaborative Jigsaw Final
 CLIA – Cooperative Learning Individual
Assessment
 40 Ways to use GoogleDocs in the Classroom
Interactive and Engaging
Several Examples of Web 2.0
Applications Integrated into
Discussions

10. Questions on “How To” Generated at Session 4-24-15
 Instructor does not have enough time to participate fully. Does every discussion HAVE to be led by
the instructor of the course?
 How to achieve dynamic discussion including better interaction between students that leads to the
same meaningful learning that F2F discussions would?
 How to respond by “adding value?”
 How to ensure that students are considering the views of all or most by reading others’ postings
and not just considering their own “world view?”
 Small group vs. large group?
 How to encourage student engagement beyond “great post” or “I agree?”
 How to ensure students have read content before posting?
 How to ensure questions are robust and students are highly engaged at application, synthesis, or
evaluation levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy?
 What are the perils and opportunities associated with anonymous postings?
 Pros and cons of “tight rubric” criteria.
 How to establish a leader/reporter for discussion that isn’t teacher-centered/led?
 What is the balance between enough discussion and “too much.” Is there such a thing as “too
much?”
 What are best practices for grading?
 How do I develop good questions and a good rubric?
 How can I stop my students from just paraphrasing what others are saying?
 How can I encourage them to cite sources?
Ideas for Discussion-Best Practices
for Engaging Learners

11.  Ideas on “How To” Generated at Session 4-24-15
 Ahas and Great Ideas!
 Rubrics are a time saver allowing feedback to go to students in a timely manner.
 Rubric criteria for assessment ideas include:
 timeliness, separate due dates for initial postings and follow-up postings
 numbers of responses spelled out minimum/maximum
 quality of initial posting and follow up contributions
 linking thoughts to global picture/connections to course content
 linking theory to practice via citations
 respondents reply at the application, synthesis or evaluation levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
 number or percentage of postings read to encourage students to consider other students’
views and research
 mechanics of writing – students compose in spellchecking and grammar checking software
BEFORE posting
 Instructor crafts discussion prompts at the application synthesis or evaluation level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy in an open ended manner to encourage diversity and creative thinking in responses. A
question at knowledge/comprehension level that has “one right answer” is NOT a good discussion
question as the student who answers it first ends the “conversation.”
 A thoughtful and robust topic prompt can include things such as voicethread, videos, online
resources such as pictures, documents, webpages.
 A thoughtful and robust topic /discussion prompt that is constructed to engage students at a high
level of Bloom’s and paired with carefully constructed assessment criteria/rubric will engage more
students more deeply more of the time.
Ideas for Discussion-Best Practices
for Engaging Learners

12.  Incorporation of a variety of discussion techniques such as jigsaws, investigation of resources, reporting using a web
2.0 application, reporting as a member of a group with a certain role, debates, and inclusion of choice will make your
discussions more dynamic and inspire students to participate using different modalities and inspires creativity. Variety
can motivate.
 Use the research/learning/ and new learnings discovered during the discussion to directly support or integrate into an
upcoming assignment. This gives full participation value and lessens the “jump through the hoops” mentality.
 Discussions that provide foundational learning can integrate directly into the course outcomes or assignments.
 Set guidelines for professional and courteous discussion. Disagreement is fine and even encouraged in a dynamic
discussion as long as it is done respectfully and is a true additive or thought-provoking component of the discussion.
 Expectations that students reply to at least 2 classmates
 More postings are not necessarily better. Quality vs. Quantity. Some students feel compelled to respond to everyone
and this can pose problems for reading expectations on the part of students and professor and it can really “water
down” dynamic interchange if the person doesn’t have 20 original thoughts or questions to post.
 Point deduction if the content of their entire response is something like, “Good Idea” or “I agree.”
 Constrain to one reply to ensure depth of thought and consideration – economy of word can demand this
 Outsource informal discussion to another area or application
 Group Discussion Board Facilitation – A different student group or individual facilitates on the topic AND assesses
discussion participation each week. Modeling this correctly the first week will enable the first moderating group to
have enough time to prepare for week two discussion facilitation.
 Group Rework of discussions, tests, or quizzes.
 Videos for establishing presence and community. Video can be used as a discussion starter as well.
 Require citations
 To ensure everyone is actually thinking and synthesizing content before posting and is posting based on their OWN
learning and not just “piggybacking” on the ideas of others, set discussion restrictions to include first reading content,
and or providing an initial posting BEFORE others’ postings will be visible.
 Use small groups to discuss informally and post group response in on forum
 Use a debate model – Two threads – “For and Against”. Students post on the thread of their choice.
(More) Ideas for Discussion-Best
Practices for Engaging Learners

13.  To contact us with questions and/or comments:
 KNei@bemidjistate.edu
 Kris Nei
 Michelle.beach@smsu.edu
 Michelle Beach
Thank you for attending!