Recently a faculty member asked, “How do I get more conversation out of online students during Wimba sessions?” (Wimba Live Classroom is a synchronous whiteboard tool and a building block in DePaul’s Blackboard installation.)
Here are two suggestions for discussion starters. I’ll cover some other strategies in later posts.
“Discussion starters” get students thinking and open up opportunities for more discussion. The key to these types of discussions is that there may not be one “right” answer—there is room for discussion. Here are two examples:
- Pros and Cons – Divide the whiteboard into two halves (do this with a pre-created PowerPoint slide). Have the students write on one side or the other. One side might be pros and the other cons to a particular issue. Can the responses be categorized? Do any responses appear on both sides?
- Create a poll on what students believe about a topic or concept—prior to presenting it or having them research it. Show the results and have students share why some believe a, or b, or c.
Why might these work? Writing on the whiteboard or taking a poll is low-risk (the author remains anonymous) so the student is more comfortable sharing what they think they know. The advantage for the instructor? You find out what students think they know and can then help the students figure out the truth in the discussion!
I really like the two scenarios you present in this entry, especially since I am in a masters program for Instructional Design at Walden University and also a classroom teacher in a Maryland high school. I think these scenarios could be used in many facets of course work, from an ice breaker, an assessment of prior knowledge, or even an assessment of intended outcomes. These are also useful techniques as intended to spark deeper discussion about various topics in general or as a part of an entire lesson. I think this will also provide a deeper learning experience enabling the learner to commit the intended message to memory through a more meaningful learning method. As I am currently learning, meaningfulness is the key to associating information with prior knowledge enabling the learner to filter information into long term memory.
Thanks for the positive comment, Mark. As a current student, can you share a synchronous experience you’ve had that, as you say, “sparks a deeper discussion?”