The Dreaded "I agree!" In Discussion Forums
How can we avoid the dreaded “I Agree†in Discussion Forums (Asynchronous Forums)?
Other than mandating minimum length, how can we stimulate quality responses to student posts?
My experience indicates that one of the top things online students HATE to do is respond to each other’s posts.
That said, I ask you. How can we encourage quality discussions on online forums?
I don't necessarily think "I agree" is bad... as long as the discussion doesn't end there. Especially for hesitant students, the "I agree" post can be an opening that gets them more engaged if properly managed.
Two things that might help carry the discussion after this type of post are:
1) Require students to post a follow-up question, and provide them with examples of appropriate questions to ask. For instance, how the topic relates to the previous topics, how it relates to future topics; or how some current event relates or exemplifies the topic. Yes, these are very basic, but the idea is to get the students to engage with one another. The discussions need to be conversational and informal.
2) Allow your students to be informal. It's a discussion board; let them discuss. If someone says something incorrect or inappropriate, by all means, step in and correct the situation as necessary. But otherwise, let the students converse. Peer interaction is a critical piece of the learning experience, and if we require formal, APA/MLA formatted discussion postings with X number of sources, etc., the students won't engage with each other because they'll be busy trying to meet our requirements. Let assignments be formal exercises where you can evaluate their writing skill, and let discussions be a time when students can converse and engage one another.
Another idea is to encourage your students to discuss the topic with a professional or professional group they've contacted through a social networking site and summarize their findings. This does two important things--it encourages them to build a professional network, and it encourages them to explore their desired career outside of the academic environment. And yes, they need to vet their contacts and research to verify the information they're given. Perfect examples of learning activities they need to be encouraged to engage in after they graduate.
I usually post a secondary, related topic later in the week and then send an email alterting the students to check the discussion board. One or the other subject generally sparks interest.
Additionally, I find that if I give the students a choice of what they want to talk about, (i.e., choose one of the following subjects and give your insights including experiences from your life), the students really respond well. Postings from these types of entries bring about longer and much more interesting discussion from the students, plus I get to learn something about them and their lifestyles.
If I have a student that posts a simple answer like this I will respond by asking them to elaborate on what they are thinking. Many times I will ask a secondary question to help them provide more than just a generic answer. Some students just need to be reminded that they have good things to share if they apply themselves so I always try to be upbeat and positive.
Nathan,
I agree ....
Just kidding - good point on keeping students engauged and trying to draw out thir thoughts in discussions.
Thanks,
Jon
From my experience a lot (if not all) depends on the topic. If the question is dry and only pertains to the material in the text book, then there are dry and short replies.
When I post questions on the discussion board now I try to find an interesting article to go along with the question to give students some food for thought and steer them a little in a certain direction, then I sometimes play the "devil's advocate" and post an article that makes them look at the subject from a different angle and ask few more questions. That seems to make them interested and engaged.
Another tool I use is posting a link to a quiz (you can find a large variety of these online) that relates to the topic and discuss their findings. I always receive good feedback from students on these.
And of course when it comes to "I agree. Have a nice day" I probe those students with additional questions and send them examples of what a "quality" post looks like.
One may look at the response time to understand the level of caring into subject matter or level of interest. Encouraging a personal response or attributing responsibility to ones contribution denotes a level of interst in every ones perspective.
A good point - the more you can do to make the class feel like a group having a discussion (instead of just posting for points) the better the quality of the discussions.
Jon
Well, one of the first things I do when I set up the directions for discussion responses is provide a little "how do I get all the points possible" list. On that list, I specifically mention that "I agree" is not acceptable because it is the equivalent of nodding one's head in a class discussion... no real participation has occurred. Instead, I recommend the use of the word "because" because it forces students to explain WHY they agree (or disagree as the case may be).
If the student is going to agree, they have to explain why they agree and relate it back to the material in the text. I think explaining to the student the importance of analyzing the thoughts of another individual, perhaps in the course content section, will give students something to think about. Perhaps a "right response" and "poor response" example would be helpful.
David:
Thank goodness there is someone on the planet that is also attacking the idiosyncratic syntax of online discussions. There is a good reason that students abhor discussion obligations. They are the same thing every time! No one is original. The English language is cast aside for acronyms, short phraseology, and repetitive wording. I adhere to the writing style of the great Samuel Clemens, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.â€
from Mark Twain quotes, American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910.
I often try to frame my DB board postings for students using the Blooms Taxonomy of learning. This method, for me, allows students to post substantive responses and give meaningful feedback to their peers. Additionally, I also stress to students that the "I agree or I concur" statements in DB postings are inadequate as it does not help enhance the learning experience for all students in the course. Overall, I must say that I have had a very good experience with students posting to DB with meaningful commentary to enhance the weeks objectives.
Adib Shakir
I also often post in the DB to students asking them to expand on "why" they agree or disagree with a topic. This helps me, as an instructor, because my students know that I am frequently monitoring their postings.
Adib Shakir
I agree minimizes roundabouts and long discussions that may not be relevant to the topic. However, it also limits the idea to be imparted in the asynchromous forum
Thank you for posing this question. I currently teach speech in a hybrid situation-half on-ground classes and half-online. There does seem to be an art to creating questions that stimulate thought and conversation, if the topic itself is not perceived as interesting by students. Open-ended questions definitely have helped me. I also ask students to present their evaluation of a speech they will watch from a link they are offered in their assignment. This has also opened conversation between students so that they can agree or disagree---with support for their perceptions!
Clearly state that "I agree" is not a proper response and that each response must be accompanied by an explanation.
I have to do this in my on the ground classes also.
Like others who posted earlier, I also state in the beginning of the course that the agreement-only post is not valid. Although some feel it is a carrot, I do assign points for participation; however, after students use the discussion board properly they often see the value and do not express a problem with it. I see them getting to know each other in personal ways that they may not even do face-to-face.
It is difficult to phrase questions in a way that fosters discussion rather than asking for a 'right' answer. I find that frequent follow-ups to students' posts keeps these threads going.
That's a good idea - having them reference the text when they agree or not and why.
I agree! Ha! This has been a helpful discussion. A couple of things I do:
1. Have them discuss what their personal experiences have been or how their company handles the issue being discussed
2. Play devil's advocate and try to get them to see the topic from a different perspective.
3. Refer to outside resources or articles I might have seen.
Despite my best efforts, this is still a huge problem and it really makes things dull and boring for everyone.
Thanks to everyone for the ideas!
