Developing Asynchronous Online Discussion Boards to Increase Student Engagement and Learning

Abstract

The asynchronous online discussion board is a vital means of engaging learners and providing high quality instruction for students. In the past, these discussion boards have been primarily text-based, but online faculty are increasingly implementing discussion formats to increase student engagement and learning. Evidence-based online discussions include (1) both whole-class and small group discussions, (2) debates, (3) sharing products, (4) video-based discussions, (5) word cloud-based discussions, (6) jigsaw discussions, and (7) student choice in response format. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of the literature regarding asynchronous discussions, as well as personal experience and recommendations based on their combined eight years of online instruction.

Encouraging Feminist Discussion in Asynchronous Online Teaching

“…This allows me to prompt, challenge, and ask for further elaboration on students' responses. I designed these activities to respond creatively and critically to recommendations of using interactive discussion board and debate forums to increase student engagement, meaningful student interactions, and critical thinking (e.g., Lohmann & Boothe, 2020), each with a feminist edge. For each activity, I outline the specific learning objectives and then describe the components of the activity.…”