Online Discussion Boards: “Humanizing” the Classroom

Session Description
Discussion boards are a vital part of the online classroom; the asynchronous communication offers an opportunity for students to share their perspectives on a given topic in each unit, and for faculty to share effective and meaningful feedback to students. How do faculty, then, appear “human” in a virtual environment in which, in many cases, students only have contact with their instructor via weekly discussion board conversations, particularly in courses in which live seminars are not required? “Humanizing” the discussion board can be challenging; this general session seeks to explore the necessity of providing a sense of community on the discussion board through effective and consistent participation. Active participation on the part of the instructor is vital for not only cultivating student engagement, but also vital for enhancing student’s critical thinking skills. Effective and consistent feedback on the discussion board empowers students to continue pursuing college courses (and subsequently, creates more marketable candidates for the workforce). As a point of emphasis, the presenters will use case studies from one course at Kaplan University, “Humanities and Culture”. As part of this presentation, the presenters will provide a brief literature review of current best practices for online discussion boards. In addition, the presenters seek to encourage conversation regarding effective and meaningful facilitation of discussion boards in online education, particularly in humanities courses.
Presenter(s)
  • Jennifer Harrison, Kaplan University, USA
Audience
All Audiences

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