Initiate Discussion
How do you first Initiate discussion borads?
Ask for inputs from the students regarding topics of interest to the students and their relevence to the discusion.eg. Discussion of the endocrine system and it's relevence to normal and tumor cellular growth and reproduction. Grab the attention of the students and their input will be in overdrive. Show pictures of normal cells and tumor cells, color will be imagination grabber, show electron micrographs, This will enable each student's input to dwell in the relms of scientific landscapes and intellegent asynchronous responses.
I normally ask my students a series of questions and provide them with examples of the topic. I also like to open the discussion with a video presentation.
I have yet to teach an online learning course, but many of these strategies are helpful even in "Brick&Mortar" classes. There is still alot of email and mIM communication with students, along with grading posted on a student portal. These ideas can help facilitate better classroom learning as well; can help students be more prepared when they come to class.
In each course I've directed using an online platform, I always start by letting thre students introduce themseleves...it is simply an amazing ice-breaker. It even works if some of the students have been in classes together previously as they will incoirportae that knowledge of each other into the introductory discussion posts.
