Food for Thought: Engaging Learners on the Discussion Board
The discussion board is my favorite place in the class. It allows me to directly interact with my students and engage in critical contemplation. There is a lot I could say here so let me just highlight a couple discussion board tactics I like to take.
Map of the Week:
At the beginning of the week I like to post a couple reminders to get the students started. They often forget APA Citations, word requirements, or how best to respond to other students. I will also post a "How I would answer this question" to get them started on the discussion topic. The rest of the week is responding to their posts with scenarios and Socratic questioning.
Pro-Life or Pro-Noncognitivist?
Having taught different humanities courses for a while I have noticed that students don't like to discuss theory. They are content to talk about how they feel about say abortion and their own personal experiences. But theoretical frameworks are avoided at all cost. My response then is usually something like: "Sarah, you have some great points! That is very utilitarian of you. Would you agree?". The student is usually propelled into the reading wondering if I am calling them pro-life or pro-choice. :)
Online for the Holidays?:
I also like to come up with fun posts that still relate to the course objectives. Every session tends to have a holiday at some point. During the week of the holiday I will post: Is it ethical to work on a holiday? We discuss the moral dilemma of celebrating a sensitive holiday like 9/11 but still having to make a living. Food for Thought posts will also call students to analyze critical topics in the media or even job issues like affirmative action and employee hiring processes that directly interest them.
In the end...
The great thing about academia is that it is holistic. Every field and subject can be related to teach the students. Statistics and anthropology can find common ground, as can physics and philosophy. It is as far as out intellect and introspection can take us.
Although topics may be described as food for thought are included in threaded discussions on occasions, I also always include current topics that are related to weekly learning objectives in weekly discussion and talking points. One example of a food for thought topic is my ITCO610 discussion board requires student to discuss whether it is ethical for online sellers to list any item they choose to display on an Online Auction Website.
Whereas some learners cite freedom of speech (as enshrined in the US Constitution First Amendment), others always think that items that espouse religious and racial hatred should not be listed irrespective of whether they are constitutional or not. Some argue that there is no constitutional provision against cruelty to animals in the US and still many are against cruelty to animals.
