Allow meaningful online discussions to improve your critical thinking skills.
Use open-ended questions and prompts to carry forward thoughtful online discussions.
High quality response posts on online discussion boards seek to analyze, synthesize and stimulate new points of view.
Global Evangelism assignment instructions video
"The discussions have been helpful." -- José O., Nazarene Bible College
student
A discussion board in an online class is where ideas and insights are shared and celebrated. Sometimes
called forums, these discussion boards are places where students express their views on course content as well as respond to what other students have posted.
The ability to share our thoughts and ideas even though we were online made it feel like a "class setting." I love that the instructor helps encourages this. -- NBC student on end-of-course evaluation
Are you struggling with meeting the expectations for the required online response or
"participation" notes? Here are five levels or categories of online response posts. This list may help
you improve. Use this material as a rubric when writing a response post.
Level 0 - Little is said more than "I agree." Evaluation:Minimal
Level 1 - A post that is mainly information quoted from the textbook or another student's
written work.Evaluation:Acceptable
Level 2 - Ideas from other students' posts and from other sources are connected in ways
going beyond rote responses. Evaluation:Good
Level 3 - At this level, students explain their thinking about what others have written and
even arrive at some generalizing through inductive reasoning. There is a visible line of reasoning
and some use of supporting evidence with sources being cited. Evaluation:Excellent
Level 4 - At this top level, students analyze and synthesize ideas or themes
that have surfaced in other students' submissions. They offer hypotheses and supporting
evidence which, in turn, stimulates others to consider new points of view. Evaluation:Exceptional
Develop your critical-thinking skills. Make your online response posts be at least
Level 2 quality. Level 3 is even better!
When used correctly, online class forums and discussion boards will help you:
Quality contributions to online discussion threads
With thanks to my Old Testament scholar friend Marty Michelson
Most online classes have a participation or response post requirement. That is not just
another "hoop to jump through." Writing response posts can be a enjoyable part of your learning
journey.
Turn your online studies into true virtual classrooms by having extended conversations about
course content. Do what you can to encourage critical thinking among by others in the class. Use the following
suggestions to shape what you write on a discussion board.
General principles for fruitful online discussions
Ask questions that are open-ended. Questions that can be answered by binary yes/no answers tend to be conversational dead-ends.
Good response posts invite continuing thought and/or additional research by the other students unless they are
summary statements meant to conclude long discussions.
To politely point out apparent flaws in others' thinking indirectly, ask the person to explain further or gently point out "possible" contradictions (perhaps even as a "misunderstanding" on your part).
Good response posts are gracious rather than curt and brittle, even when you strongly
disagree.
Be inquisitive rather than confrontational.
Discussion board prompts
Try calling for a display of thinking or feeling by asking:
To what extent would you agree that ...?
What are some ways ...?
What evidence do you have for ...?
What are your reasons for ...?
How would you answer the objection that ...?
What examples would you cite to support your statement that ...?
What sources would you cite to support your statement that ...?
How do you see your idea about ... working out in ... situation?
How do you feel about ...? [Name something in the readings, current events, or the class
postings.]
What reasons do you have for saying ...?
Why do you agree (or disagree) on that point?
What definition are you using for the term "..." that you just used?
What do you mean by that expression "..."?
How is what you are saying here consistent with what you said before?
Please clarify what you mean by "...".
What are you implying when you say "..."?
It appears that you and ... are contradicting each other. Please expand your remarks to show
how you agree. Or, explain the basis of your disagreement.
It seems like you are contradicting yourself on the issue of .... Please explain how you
are able to resolve the tension between ... and
Extending or summarizing statements:
I think I would summarize our discussion here by saying . . ..
Another issue we should discuss here is .... [Now make an opening statement
on that issue.]
Another resource I found helpful on this topic is .... [Now explain why and how it is
helpful.]
What we are discussing here seems to apply to [name some current event in your
church/area/country/world]. [Now state how you see it applying.]
Is the converse of this also true/valid? It seems to me that . ...
Another position with some validity could be . . ..
Calls for clarification
Will someone please help me understand the distinction between ... and ...?
I don't understand what you mean by _______________________. Will you please
explain?
-- Howard Culbertson,
Note: The course web pages on the official NBC site will contain expanded written instructions for the required response posts.
"I found this class very helpful in helping me gain new knowledge regarding
missions in the Church. Before this class, I had little first-hand experience with much of the information
we discussed. I appreciated the feedback from the various levels of experience of the instructor
and each of my classmates." -- student on the course evaluation"
Afterword: What does a good discussion board post look like?
Good online discussion board posts make possible meaningful conversations and thereby encourage the engagement of all students. Some characteristics of good discussion board response posts include:
Relevance: Reply posts should zero in on a topic or issue mentioned in the post to which you are responding. Irrelevant contributions can derail conversations.
Clarity: Clear and concise writing increases comprehension and helps you communicate effectively to other students as well as the instructor.
Substance: Posts should be substantive with insights, opinions, evidence, or questions that add to the discussion and stimulate further dialogue.
Respectfulness: Respectful tone and language are necessary if the the discussion board is going to be a safe place for people to express themselves. So, express your views respectfully, even when you disagree with what someone else has written.
Engagement: Good response posts encourage further interaction. They can do this by asking questions, responding reflectively to others' comments, or
providing links to additional resources.
Critical Thinking: This means presenting well-reasoned arguments, supporting claims with evidence, and considering alternative positions in ways that improve discussion and promote intellectual growth.
Timeliness: Posting in a timely manner helps ensure that your contributions will be relevant to the ongoing conversation. Responding promptly to others'
comments also signals that you are actively engaged in the course.
Organization: Well-organized posts with clear
structure (e.g., using paragraphs, bullet points, or headings) aid readability and comprehension.
Originality: Providing unique insights or viewpoints encourages diversity of thought and keeps discussions from becoming repetitive or stale.
Constructive Feedback: Constructive criticism or feedback should be delivered in a respectful manner. It is never okau to attack anolther student in an online discussion board.
Acknowledgment of Others: You demonstrate active listening by acknowledging and building upon others' contributions. That can produce a sense of community among class members.
By writing response posts with these characteristics, you can contribute to animated and meaningful online discussions that promote learning, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas.
What kind of online student are you? Do
others think of you as Busy or Wordy or Disconnected Dan? Do you sometimes come off to
others as Oblivious or Trite-ly or even End-times Edith? [ more
]
