DE Oracle @ UMUC

Crafting discussion questions, as discussed in Parts I and II in previous issues, is only part of effective discussions. This last segment, Part III, Administrating Conferences/Discussion Questions, addresses conferenceistrative issues.

Part II of How to Develop Effective Discussion Questions explains how to use the competencies of Bloom's taxonomy and case studies to develop discussion questions that promote critical thinking.

Instructors often forget they can influence the thinking process of their students. A student in one of Dr. Harding's classes takes the phrase "leave a footprint" literally.

Discussion design and facilitation has an indispensable role in online education and is dependent on the development of carefully crafted questions. Student satisfaction has been found to be highly correlated with interactions in the classroom. Therefore, faculty need to understand how and why carefully crafted questions can fit course content and student needs.

Managerial writers need to understand the context of their writing to be effective. The writer who does not understand the problem will become the problem.

What to say and do in the conference? Truly, this medium makes this kind of reflective discussion so rich. There are three parts to conference facilitation: 1. what the discussion will be; 2. how you want participants to contribute; and 3. how you, the facilitator, will moderate the discussion or have the discussion moderated by your students.

One of the challenges for the online instructor at the Graduate level is to foster interaction in such a way that involvement is balanced with faculty direction. As we know from our traditional, face-to-face classes, student involvement which can be applied to the work (or other) environment increases understanding of the concepts and the likely retention of the materials.

Opening a dialog between all class members early and setting a pattern of drawing on students' own individual strengths can make a class more effective and more relevant to students.

The relatively informal interaction that takes place during face-to-face classes satisfy important informational and emotional needs for all involved. Online instructors may discover similar rewards in creating "virtual hallways".

Remember way back when, before online education, when most classes were taught face to face? Online education is challenging for both the student and the instructor. A good online atmosphere can help personalize what is inherently an impersonal environment. This article will present a few ideas and techniques that has worked for Dr. Sweeney.