{"id":1620,"date":"2022-03-07T13:16:31","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T13:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/candlerdigitallearning\/?p=1620"},"modified":"2026-01-19T11:35:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:35:00","slug":"alternatives-to-discussion-boards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/candlerdigitallearning\/alternatives-to-discussion-boards\/","title":{"rendered":"More Discussion, Less Bored: Alternatives to Discussion Boards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For many classes, Discussion Boards serve as the primary means of assessing a student’s participation and preparation for class. Did they do the reading? Are they paying attention in class? Many faculty who teach online use discussion boards as a way to continue the conversations of the class outside of the classroom. This article is titled “More Discussion, Less Bored” as a play on the disconnect we’ve found between student and faculty perceptions of discussion boards and to provide creative alternatives to discussion boards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Discussion<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What are students saying about Discussion Boards?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our office surveyed several students and wanted to share some important takeaways. Now, it is important to remember the comments are directed to discussion boards, not the the assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like [discussion boards] offer no incentive to participate in a meaningful manner, and quickly become arbitrary when a student is falling behind or struggling to manage the stresses and challenges of coursework.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt often times feels like discussions that could be had in the classroom are substituted with discussion boards in order to allocate more time for lecture and lift the burden of mediating conversation from the professor.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

“If a student is being graded for word count minimum, but not for content; if a student is contributing to a discussion, but is not graded for responding to others; and if a student is writing a thoughtful response, but the professor is not responding back in the same forum\u2014where should the student\u2019s priorities truly lie?”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Effective Conversations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion<\/a> published a collection of resources for online learning, “Effective and Inclusive Online Discussions: A Focus on Preparation, Presence, Preferences, and Privacy<\/a>.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Preparation is all about determining what<\/strong><\/em> are your learning goals and why<\/em><\/strong> is discussion the best way to meet them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is essential that you are open with your students about how these online discussions work and why they matter. This includes the grading criteria and the medium too! Leaving out this aspect has led to many students’ experiences having never participated in a meaningful and productive online discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A final component of your preparation should include establishing community norms with your students. What’s the temperature of your classroom community? What are your expectations? For example, how do you plan to respond to microaggressions? What does it look like to reach out to a student who has been open and transparent about their traumas and hardships with the class?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Presence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your presence in online discussion is vitally important. Wabash encourages your presence as one that is both sustainable and supportive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sustainable<\/em><\/strong> presence means that you do not over promise engagement, but meet the standards you set for yourself in the syllabus. You could say: <\/p>\n\n\n\n