Discussion Formats and Activities
Listed below are examples of a few in-person discussion models that could be adapted for sychronous online discussion use.
Jigsaw: Generate a short list of topics within the concept you are teaching. Each student becomes an 'expert' on one of those topics, first by themselves and then in discussion with other experts. Later these student experts become responsible, through dialogue, for helping non-experts to become as knowledgeable as they are. For example, a class of 25 students works on five topics. Each student decides which of these 5 topics they wish to become expert about. They spend time before or during class studying thier topic in order to develop the required expertise. Students who have selected the same topic gather in a small group to raise questions, explore misunderstandings and discuss what they have learned. When students feel they have finished pooling the insights they have gained in the course of becoming expert, new small groups are formed that include expert representatives from each of the original topics groups. Each student expert takes a turn in leading the others in a discussion of their particular area of expertise. These small groups end when all members of the group express satisfaction with their knowledge and understanding of all of the topics covered. Sometimes the exercise ends there - other times it extends to a large group summing up.
Hot-seat: This format calls for the moderator to be well informed about the subject being covered in the discussion. It usually helps to be prepared ahead of time with source materials covering the main points or issues that might help steer the discussion in the preferred or pre-agreed direction. They keep the discussion on track by asking the questions that they feel will cover the important aspects of the subject while still encouraging free thought and discussion from the other participants.
Round Robins: For example, if there were 10 participants, and 7 issues that will be addressed, the moderator would ask the first participant a question about the first issue and limit the response to perhaps 2 minutes, then allow another to volunteer to address the same issue for a minute or so, and so on, until all 10 participants have had a chance to respond at least once before the second topic is introduced. It would be up to the moderator to continue the discussion until they believe that the interest or all the points that they wished to cover in the issue have been exhausted.
Links to articles about the use of online discussion
- Penn State: Creative Use of On-line Discussion Areas
An informative paper covering the many uses of discussion as a tool in education for instrumental and tranformative purposes. Through the use of technology, its online application can facilitate and support it via the Internet. http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/communication.html - How to best harness the benefits of discussion forums
A more basic article on how to use a forum in general terms. http://www.dotnetspider.com/kb/Article1703.aspx