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Evaluating Discussion Postings

From WebCT Wiki

The evaluation of discussion postings in WebCT needs to be considered when you create your course syllabus. Effective planning of your course can be done in a way that maximizes the use of this institutional resource. The first step in using discussion as part of your assessment is deciding what you want your students to get out of discussion threads. Many instructors make the mistake of opening up discussion for students without considering the long-term workload associated with monitoring and maintaining the discussions. Without a clear guideline for use of the discussions, the board can quickly become a wasteland of random, disorganized, and irrelevant postings. There are a few different types of assessed discussion postings: Prescriptive, Formal, Informal, and Open-Ended

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1 Guidelines for Online Posting
2 Netiquette
3 Setting Expectations for Students
4 Evaluating online discussions: How do you mark all those posts and still have a life?

[edit] Guidelines for Online Posting

It is important to set out the rules and guidelines surrounding the use of the discussion board right from day one of the semester. Proactive communication can alleviate piles of unnecessary stress and work later in the term. You can build your guidelines into your syllabus, post them on your WebCT course, and discuss them F2F. Ideally you can do all three!

[edit] Netiquette

Netiquette is the term used to describe rules of courtesy in using electronic communication. These rules are intended to help us use the medium effectively and considerately.

More information on Netiquette can be found in its own article, along with Sample of a course handout on Netiquette that has been modified from the Handbook for Instructors on the Use of the Electronic Class Discussion, Ohio State University by Nancy Chism

[edit] Setting Expectations for Students

How to Clarify your expectations of learner's roles, so they know what to expect!

Tell your students you expect them to:

Be present, not passive
Create, share, hold knowledge and experiences
Be self-motivated and self-directed
Manage their time effectively
Be learners ready to lead
Troubleshoot problems
Contribute to class discussion
Teach others and facilitate the experience
Act as collegial members of the class
Review readings and materials thoughtfully and reflectively
Provide timely and meaningful feedback to you and fellow learners
"listen" to each other
communicate with each other, not just you
Be proactive
Observe the process

Modified from Hanna, D., Glowaki-Dudka, M., & Conceicao-Runlee, S. (2000)147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups: Essentials of Web-Based Education. Atwood Publishing. Wisconsin. pp. 17-22.