“A good question is both answerable and challenging. It will inspire analysis, synthesis, interpretation, and critical thinking.” Designing Effective Discussion Questions
Online discussions for Middlebury courses can be conducted via Canvas, video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet), collaborative Google docs, or a messaging platform like Slack or Microsoft Teams. Below are a few resources to help you get started.
Plan, Design Questions, and Facilitate Discussions
- Planning and Facilitating Quality Discussions (Association of College and University Educators)
- Designing Effective Discussion Questions (Stanford’s Teaching Commons site)
Asynchronous vs. Synchronous
- DLINQ Blog post – an overview and suggestions about the differences, benefits, and challenges with both modes of communication
Discussions in Canvas
- Recording of a previous DLINQ webinar on Using Discussion Boards in Canvas
- How do I create a discussion?
- How do I duplicate a discussion?
- A list of discussion instruction links
RISE Rubric
Humanizing the Online Discussion Forum with Social Video Practices
In DLINQ this year we have been hosting a series
Small Move #2: Student-Centered Course Design Using Canvas
“If teaching is conceived as constructing a bridge between the subject matter and the student, learner-centered teachers keep a constant
Strategies for Communicating with Students in Remote Classes
“...communication with students in online classes needs to be frequent,
What is “asynchronous” and why do you keep recommending it to me?
If you’ve dropped in to chat with DLINQ staff and