As you move the discussions forward it is very beneficial to draw I will the students from the different generations that we have in the particular makeup of the course. Usually this is best done as has already been pointed out through the interjection within the discussion area of the forum of real-life examples from which others can benefit as well as perceived some prejudice as well as strengths as a relates to the topical material
Often times students have a habit of quoting directly from source material in order to attempt to eliminate as well's illustrate the topic being discussed. The question remains to they really understand what the article was saying? An effort to do so students need to be encouraged to interpret their findings and post the result not just site or copy of the findings from their source material.
If you are working with a group of student's who have been going through and a particular program of study for a period of months we see a spirit of collegiality and camaraderie develop as they get closer to the completion of the program and the fruition of their degree requirements. It is very important though to acknowledge any newcomers to the sessions as they will continue forward within the program after the other move on to other endeavors
One of the most beneficial tools that can be used is in the review process at the end of the week and the scoring of the posting requirements; essentially by making not just particular comments on what the student posted by encouraging through words continued research and dovetailing into the material and concepts covered during that week of study. Often times a student feels just because they posted as you get full credit; the full credit should only be awarded when the post is Substantive and covers the material content required in order to affect Tivoli address the issue. It is than the essential to use positive strokes in your comments as an instructor and encourage the continued attenuation of such behavior by the particular student.
William,
Providing prompts is good, we just have to be careful to not take over the discussion. I also many times assign a student to summarize the discussion when it is over. Thanks.
William,
Yes, if you can connect the discussion board to real life and course content, engagement will increase. Thanks for sharing.
William,
You are right. Students do think many times that just because they post something, they deserve full credit. That is why I use a rubric for postings and also give examples of good/bad posting. Thanks for your input.
William,
Real life examples and involving all students is what we try to continue to do in all of our courses. Thanks for your input.
William,
We do need to talk to students about sourcing information properly and learning how to do summaries. I use SafeAssign to show students how plagairism may "appear" if students do not cite sources properly. Thanks.
William,
Ah - camaraderie. I love it. It's what develops when students become a community of learners. We do have to think about how to include new students as we move forward in our courses. Thanks!
