Studies show that student engagement is a strong predictor of learning outcomes, so finding ways to increase engagement is essential (see Hernan et al. and Hamadi et al.). Increasing student engagement can be a particular challenge in online and hybrid settings, where students don’t get regular face-to-face interaction with instructors and peers. One of the answers to this challenge is online discussion forums.
The effectiveness of online discussion forums may be one of the most controversial topics when it comes to online learning. Many students and even instructors dislike online discussion forums and struggle to see their value. On the other hand, others stand by online discussions, seeing them as an effective way to facilitate higher-level thinking and peer-to-peer interactions when other options are limited.
While the effectiveness of online discussion forums may be up for debate, many educational organizations require them in some form, so exploring some ways to improve their efficacy is worthwhile.
Challenges of Discussion Forums
As previously mentioned, you don’t have to look far to find complaints about discussion forums—from both students and teachers. Many argue that discussion forums are ineffective. The main concerns are that students only do the minimum required work for the grade, and therefore don’t get anything out of the practice. As a result, instructors are left grading dozens (if not hundreds) of rote comments that don’t contribute to students’ learning experiences.
Other concerns include the difficulty of participating for speakers of other languages; disadvantages for members of marginalized groups, who may feel overwhelmed by voices of those in the majority; the propensity for plagiarism within posts; and the lack of relevance of discussions in certain fields such as math.
Benefits of Discussion Forums
Despite the naysayers, many still hold that discussion forums are an important tool, especially in asynchronous and online learning settings (but also in traditional higher education settings—check out our post on social media in higher education). Fans of discussion forums say that when done properly, the pros outweigh the cons. Here are some of the things discussion forums can do for students, when they are executed well:
- help students get invested in course material and contribute in ways more grounded in class readings and research
- promote higher-order thinking and problem solving
- provide a platform to practice civil and constructive disagreement
- provide opportunities for students who might not be willing to share in other settings, including ESL students and those not comfortable sharing live in a large group
- allow more time for preparation, leading to more thoughtful discussion responses
- encourage higher-order thinking, including distinguishing fact from fiction, synthesizing and evaluating information, communicating clearly, solving problems, and discovering truths
How to Improve the Effectiveness of Discussion Forums
In many cases, having a discussion forum of some kind may be required by curriculum standards—so whether you think discussion forums are a waste of time, or you think they can be a good tool but aren’t sure how to make them effective in your course, let’s explore some ways to make discussion forums more effective.
1. Choose the right platform.
If you’ve had problems getting students to engage in online discussion forums, consider alternative platforms. Many professors have had success with video discussions, interactive annotation software, and even presentations, infographics, and concept maps as alternatives to traditional discussion forums. Here are some tools and platforms that instructors have had success with:
- Zoom: good for recorded video discussions and whiteboard collaboration.
- Perusall: a platform for interactive annotation; good for starting discussions based on course materials.
- VoiceThread: good for combination presentation and video/audio discussions.
- Canva: good for creating visuals such as infographics and concept maps, and for team whiteboard collaboration.
- Microsoft Teams: similar to Zoom; good for group video discussions.
2. Craft effective prompts.
The right prompt can make all the difference in successfully encouraging students to engage in discussion forums. Make sure prompts are thoughtful and conducive to unique responses. When discussions connect to the learning material and provide students with a way to apply the learning, rote and repetitive responses are much less common.
Another way to promote discussion engagement is to have students craft the prompts themselves. If students’ first recourse when they have a question is to post it on the discussion forum, engagement will be a natural outcome of their investment in the content. These questions might include homework Q&As and clarifications or discussions regarding course materials.
3. Support students in their sharing.
As the instructor, there are ways you can set students up for success. Consider putting students into smaller groups for the discussion to increase sharing visibility and a sense of community.
Also, reach out to students who haven’t contributed much to discussions. Sometimes these students may feel like they don’t have anything to share; assure them that their contributions are valuable.
And lastly, be intentional about how and where you share. Try to allow students opportunities to share before sharing yourself. If you jump in too quickly, you may be cutting off a conversation that would grow organically without your intervention.
4. Grade effectively.
Many of the common complaints about discussion forums stem from shortcomings in how participation is graded. Try reevaluating the traditional grading criteria: “post one, respond to two” may not be best metric for your situation. Some alternative practices that can produce more engagement include
- Giving high marks for comments that “advance the discussion”
- Reducing points for cluster posting the day before posts are due
- Providing a rubric for posts to set expectations early on
If you want your discussions to be evaluative, creative, and innovative, give credit for posts that accomplish those goals. Grades are essentially incentives—so incentivize the behaviors that you want your students to practice.
Other Considerations
While these tips have worked for many instructors, they aren’t guaranteed wins for discussion forums. By their nature, discussion forums rely on students’ willing participation. Remember that these practices won’t be effective for everyone—no matter how good your method is, there will always be a percentage of students who only do the minimum to get the grade.
Many instructors express that discussion forums are significantly more effective in graduate level classes, where the students are likely more invested in the material than in general curricula. To reduce the odds of students writing off discussion forums as busywork, carefully consider how many times you ask the students to participate in them. If possible, you might even consider making participation ungraded to promote post authenticity.
There are plenty of challenges to teaching online, and encouraging peer-to-peer interaction and engagement is one of the biggest. While discussion forums are an imperfect tool, you can increase their effectiveness by being intentional about how and when you use them. In the end, students will only get as much out of discussion forums as you are willing to put into them—so make the most of them by using these tips.
If you’d like more ideas about increasing student engagement, read our other articles on the topic: 4 Ways to Encourage and Increase Student Engagement, and 5 Simple Ways to Boost Online Students’ Engagement.
References
Baloran, Erik T., Jenny T. Hernan, and Janice S. Taoy. 2021. “Course Satisfaction and Student Engagement in Online Learning Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Equation Model.” Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education 22 (4): 1–12. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2002203.
Georgia Southwestern State University. Benefits of Discussion Boards. https://www.gsw.edu/faculty-resources/teaching-learning/files/GCheokas_CTL-Benefits-of-Online-Discussion-Board_pr-brief-7.pdf.
Hamadi, Hanadi, Aurora Tafili, Frederick R. Kates, Samantha A. Larson, Carlyn Ellison, and Jihee Song. 2023. “Exploring an Innovative Approach to Enhance Discussion Board Engagement.” TechTrends 67: 741–751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-023-00850-0.
Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. Discussions in Online Courses: Best Practices and Expectations. https://ep.jhu.edu/faculty-staff/teaching-technology-resources/discussions-in-online-courses-best-practices-and-expectations/.
Lieberman, Mark. 2019. “Discussion Boards: Valuable? Overused? Discuss.” Inside Higher Ed, March 26. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/03/27/new-approaches-discussion-boards-aim-dynamic-online-learning.
