Tips for Students in Online Discussion Boards
by Alice Li
Before the start of our online education, some of us may not have experienced academic online discussions. Web etiquette (netiquette) is an important aspect of online communication, since following netiquette rules can encourage the sharing of diverse ideas in a respectful and engaging learning environment. [1] Moreover, acknowledging these rules can diminish the chance of offending others and remind you that you are communicating with real people rather than just a computer screen. [2] At The University of British Columbia and The University of Toronto, Keep Learning and Dalla Lana offer advice to students on netiquette in online discussion.
Moving beyond netiquette, what types of content could you write on discussion boards? And how do you create a welcoming atmosphere for others to respond to your posts? Learning about content types may inspire you to effectively develop constructive posts. Furthermore, interacting with your peers can help you not only gain online participation marks but also learn diverse perspectives on a topic
Prior to implementing these tips, you should check whether your instructor has established the level of formality and/or has given discussion board instructions for their specific course. Make sure to follow these guidelines. For instance, check whether the course is more formal and your ideas need appropriate referencing (e.g. APA, MLA, or Chicago) or if the course is less formal and encourages the use of emoticons to express your feelings. [2]
Tips for Developing a Constructive Post:
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Connect with Current/Past Events
By linking a discussion topic with current or past news articles, you could provide evidence or support for the ideas expressed in your posts. [3] To inform others of the situation, you may link to materials that are not from the course but are relevant to your post.
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Share Your Own Experiences
You could share your personal experiences and insights from these experiences related to the topic of week. [4] Please do not provide personal information or details that you are uncomfortable sharing.
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Synthesize Ideas from the Required Readings of your Course
Comparing concepts from the required readings is a source to discuss with your peers. [5] By doing so, you could recognize whether you have fully understood the readings as well as gain different perspectives on how your classmates understood the content.
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Share Relevant Research Articles by Citation Chaining
To find scholarly works that support your idea related to a required reading, you could start with the reference list of the reading or the articles that cited the reading. Since the thesis of the reading is supported by the contributions of different researchers, you could find relevant articles on the topic by looking at the reference list or the “Cited By” link in Google Scholar for a particular article. These processes in academia are called “Backward Chaining” and “Forward Chaining”, and are used to find previous research contributions or new developments on a topic. [6]
For more resources and details on citation chaining, visit the Library of Toronto Scarborough webpage.
Tips for Responding Effectively to a Post:
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Acknowledge the Posts Made by Your Classmates
Before expressing your own opinion, appreciating the posts of your peers shows that you have understood and valued their ideas. [7] Since verbal and non-verbal cues, such as expressing agreement and nodding, cannot be interpreted through computer screens, you could acknowledge their thoughts by summarizing their ideas or what their post has taught you in one or two sentence(s). [8]
For instance, you could say something like “Thank you Jason for sharing these insights on data privacy. The research results that you have provided influenced me to be more conscious of my privacy settings of the electronic devices that I use everyday.”
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Provide Supporting or Alternative Perspectives
By acknowledging others’ posts using the tip mentioned above, you could support or provide different views. Do not feel afraid to express a different opinion on the same topic, but remember to acknowledge others’ posts first. [7] When summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting evidence for your sources, provide a footnote citation at the end of your post for others to refer to the referenced materials. [9]
Tips for Inviting Participation to a Post:
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Keep Your Posts Concise
Constructing succinct responses invites your peers to share their thoughts. Unless there is a word count requirement by your instructor, you may be tempted to write mini essays to support your claim. [10] However, keep in mind that your classmates will need to spend more effort and time reading and developing responses, which may result in fewer replies from your peers. [11] Thus, concise posts increase the chance of others responding to your posts.
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Ask Questions
Asking questions helps maintain discussions within the forums. [12] You could ask questions about the responses from your classmates or inquire about the topic of the week.
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Encourage Feedback
Let your classmates know that you are open to discussion by writing that you appreciate different thoughts on your post or inviting classmates by their names in a group forum. [12] Every member in a group can create a welcoming environment by encouraging others to participate.
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Do not Wait Until Near the Deadline to Post Responses
Discussion posts published earlier in the week have a higher chance of receiving engagement from your classmates than those posted later in the week. [13] Since your classmates have different studying schedules and might not check the group forums near the deadline of the discussion timeframe, do not expect to have insightful exchanges of views at the last minute. You should allocate time to develop and respond to posts on a regular basis. To manage your study time, there are several methods such as The Pomodoro Technique or The 80/20 Rule.
Conclusion:
In my online learning courses last semester, I noticed that asking questions about others’ posts kept the discussion active while providing a more in-depth discussion between my peers and I. Moreover, acknowledging the posts provided a respectful environment where different opinions were shared. Additionally, post acknowledgement was an effective method for me to fully understand their viewpoint before constructing a supporting or alternative position using current/past events, my own experiences, and research articles.
Can you think of other ways to encourage active participation in academic online discussion forums? What have you encountered so far that works for you? Let us know in the comments section.
References
[1] Lisa St. C., “Netiquette,” Instructional Resources, accessed December 17, 2020, https://blog.citl.mun.ca/instructionalresources/netiquette/.
[2] Virginia Shea, “Introduction,” Netiquette, accessed December 17, 2020, http://www.albion.com/netiquette/introduction.html.
[3] Athena Kennedy, “Tips for Online Students: Participating in Class Discussions,” Colorado State University, last modified February 11, 2016, http://blog.online.colostate.edu/blog/online-education/tips-for-online-students-participating-in-class-discussions/.
[4] Tracia M. Forman, “Student Perceptions of Online Learning: Discussion Board Assignments,” ERIC Database, (2018):10-11, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED595007.pdf.
[5] Hannah Turner, “Seminar Discussion Participation,” LIBR 508: Information Practices in Contemporary Society at The University of British Columbia, Accessed November 3, 2020, https://canvas.ubc.ca.) [note: this resource is not open source]
[6] Fiona Berry and Crystal Choi, “Citation Chaining: How to Find More Information From One Source,” The University of Sydney, last modified October 11, 2012, https://library.sydney.edu.au/help/online-training/downloads/iResearch_Print_CitationChaining.pdf.
[7] University of Leicester, “Engaging in Discussion,” Study Skills, accessed November 8, 2020, https://www.le.ac.uk/oerresources/ssds/studyskills/page_12.htm.
[8] Ainslie Ellis, “Student-Centred Collaborative Learning Via Face-To-Face and Asynchronous Online Communication: What’s the Difference?” Ascilite, (2001): 173, https://ascilite.org/conferences/melbourne01/pdf/papers/ellisa.pdf.; Elizabeth Murphy, “Graduate Students’ Experiences of Challenges in Online Asynchronous Discussions”, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology 30, no.2 (2004), https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073681.pdf.
[9] University of Maryland Global Campus, “Online Classroom Materials (Suggested Format),” Chicago Citation Examples, accessed November 16, 2020, https://sites.umgc.edu/library/libhow/chicago_examples.cfm#classroom.
[10] Osborne Debora M. et al., “Use of Online Asynchronous Discussion Boards to Engage Students, Enhance Critical Thinking, and Foster Staff-Student/Student-Student Collaboration: A Mixed Method Study,” Nurse Education Today 70, (2018):41, https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/science/article/pii/S0260691718304167. [note: this resource is not open source]
[11] Murphy, “Graduate Students’ Experiences.”; Janine Delahunty, “Connecting to Learn, Learning to Connect: Thinking Together in Asynchronous Forum Discussion,” Linguistics and Education 46, (2018):17, https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/science/article/pii/S0898589817303923. [note: this resource is not open source]
[12] Khe Foon Hew and Wing Sum Cheung, Student Participation in Online Discussions: Challenges, Solutions, and Future Research (New York: Springer, 2012), 83. https://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-4614-2370-6; Daniel Zingaro and Murat Oztok, “Interaction in an Asynchronous Online Course: A Synthesis of Quantitative Predictors,” ERIC Database, (2012):77, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ982683.pdf. [note: this resource is not open source]
[13]Allan Jeong and Sue Frazier. “How Day of Posting Affects Level of Critical Discourse in Asynchronous Discussions and Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation,” British Journal of Educational Technology 39, no.5 (2008):885, https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00789.x. ; Zingaro and Oztok, “Asynchronous Online Course”, 77. [note: this resource is not open source]
Written by Alice Li
Edited by Rachael Bradshaw
Featured image Picture by Sara Torda used under Pixabay License
Its interesting