Discussion Board Participation
Any thoughts on how to get the social loafers to participate more in the Discussion Boards?
Jim,
I use a rubric and the points are tied to participation points that affect their grade. Works for me.
I definitely make a point to make a note of those who were not participating and then I will ask them a specific question. I might also decide to email them personally and asked them to participate little bit more.
I do also Jade. I email them and if I get no response I call them. This has had some very positive results.
Jim DeLapine
Jade,
Yes, you must encourage those that are not participating. We would do it in a F2F course and it's just as important or maybe more in an online course.
Thanks!
Jim,
Also, when participation is a part of the grade, it's essential.
I comment every student's main post and ask a question whose answer will improve their score.
If the student does not respond, I provide feedback on the shortcoming, remove appropriate number of points and make a reference to my question in my comments.
I post general comments and individual comments. Student can access easily all of my comments to determine if my comment applies to their work.
If I find deficient post, I will make additional comments. The student will recognize my attempt to assist them. If they correct any mistakes before the due date, all is forgiven.
Albert,
do not make too much work on your part. There is a fine line between facilitating the conversation and doing more work than the students do. Thanks for your input.
At the beginning of the course I set the tone by covering the rubric and how points are scored. Simple answers such as "I agree" or " You're correct" have points deducted with private individual comments in the grade box explaining the rubric again. I also include a copy of the rubric so that there is no room for ambiguity.
Steven ,
Excellent. Making sure students understand the expectations and are assessed accordingly is essential. The rubric is the key.
Thanks.
One thing I provide students with is a document as to what to expect with sample posts to a mock question. This models an A level post, A B level post, an F level post etc. This allows students to see exactly what is expected of them and how they should respond. This document also has sample student replies to encourage them to get away from "good job" " I agree" etc. I find after the first post you can TELL who has read this and who has not. I will often email this document to those loafers or those not participating to motivate them to be present!
Leah,
Excellent. Again - it's setting the expectations and explaining them clearly. We can all reach toward goals we understand.
Most of the time their grades have quite an impact on their participation. If we deduct enough points as instructors where it make a difference in their overall grade you find a student being much more active and wanting to contribute more. R. Waters
Renee,
Grades can be a motivator - no doubt. We have to explain how we are going to assess their work and help them understand the expectations so they can work toward the learning objectives.
