I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. ~attributed to Etienne de Grellet~
I'm a big fan of online discussion boards (even for F2F classes) because they can foster thoughtful, deep conversation and still be easy to grade. Good questions make them possible, but, of course, you have to have students being respectful and engaged. How to do it? First, a clear policy of expectation. Something like this... Continue Reading →
Elsewhere I've argued that online discussion boards can be lively, engaging, and deep, involving more students than a typical classroom discussion and prompting more careful thinking and respectful engagement. But how do you get there? It all begins with the questions you ask. What your students talk about on discussion board will of course vary... Continue Reading →
Do you dread discussion board conversations from students because they devolve into students latching on to one good answer and all simply agreeing with it--or, worse, running the whole sentence through a thesaurus so they each say the same thing in a slightly different (and increasingly wordy) way? It doesn't have to be that way.... Continue Reading →
Rebecca Barrett-Fox 