Instructional Designers: Creating Meaningful Online Discussion Activities

Draves (2002) describes collaborative interaction as the “heart and soul of an online course.”  Discussion among students in the online class has becomes one of the most widely used pedagogical strategies to facilitate such collaborative interaction.  As such, instructional designers are charged with the task of designing meaningful discussion activities and assessing them effectively.  Horton (2006) suggest that the success of effective online learning activities “depends on well-designed online discussions” (p. 464).  Likewise, assessment of online discussion can provide students with a clear indication of the expectations for participation/discussion and grading related to performance.  These issues suggest that the pivotal role instructional designer play and the need for their effectiveness.

Begin by reflecting on this week’s readings by Horton (2006) Chapter 9, “Design for the Virtual Classroom” (pp. 463–471), Oosterhof, Conrad, and Ely (2008) (Chapters 13-14), and your own experiences as a student in online courses.  Then, consider the following questions:

• What are the essential features of a well-designed online discussion activity?
• What are the challenges of designing online discussion activity?  

• What strategies can an instructional designer use to address the challenges of online discussion? 
• What assessment strategies increase meaningful participation and effective evaluation?

With these thoughts in mind, proceed to this week’s Discussion prompt.

By Wednesday:

Post your thoughts about the following questions:

• In your previous online courses, what aspects of the discussion activities facilitated and/or inhibited your meaningful participation?

• What are the pros and cons of using peer, self, and instructor assessment to facilitate meaningful online discussions?

• How might an instructor benefits from having the different pieces of evaluative information produced by incorporating peer, self, and instructor assessment of a discussion activity? What is the cost to the instructor to implement and manage all three forms or assessment?  How might these issues impact your decision as an instructional designer to include these three types of assessment into the online course?

Please review the rubric if you are unclear of the expectations for this assignment.

Discussion Rubric. Modified from Original Walden University Discussion Rubric. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Faculty/StudentFaculty_15198.htm

Oosterhof, A., Conrad, R.-M., & Ely, D. P. (2008). Assessing learners online. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. 

Book Excerpt: E-Learning by Design
(Horton, W., Designing for the Virtual Classroom, E-Learning by Design). Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons Inc. Used with permission from John Wiley & Sons Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Teacher Preparation: Are basic training requirements being met for instructors in Teach for America.

Issues in teacher preparation, such as subject knowledge (i.e., minor, major in undergraduate, major in graduate school), pedagogical coursework, and a high-quality field experience have been researched and debated regarding their impact on various outcomes (i.e., retention in the profession) including student achievement.  Consider the following: If a teacher’s subject knowledge, pedagogical coursework, and field experience all contribute to student achievement, isn’t it important to maintain standards across these areas for the level of preparation required of all teachers entering the profession?  However, programs such as “Teach For America” provides a pathway into teaching that does not meet the standards for a pre-licensure teacher certification program in any state in the United States.  How then, is the issue of lower teacher preparation standards acceptable for teachers who are placed in schools with students who experience some of the greatest challenges to learning?  For this week’s discussion, you and your colleagues will debate the issue of teacher preparation for schools, students, and parents with teachers who are participating in the Teach For America program.

INSTRUCTIONS

Begin by reflecting on this week’s readings, videos and your own experiences with new teachers. Then, consider the following questions:

• Is the 5-week Teach For American training sufficient preparation for a new teacher in a classroom with students who come to school from challenging environments that negatively impact their learning.

• What are the most important challenges to improving the preparation received by Teach For America participants? 

• Discuss alternative training solutions that may supplement the gaps in teachers’ preparation for “Teach for America?”

With these thoughts in mind, proceed to this week’s Discussion prompt.

By Wednesday:

Post your thoughts about the following questions:

• Compare and contrast the training new teachers receive in Teach For America and the traditional pre-licensure program at a four-year College or University?

• Does there appear to be substantial differences in the levels of preparation for new teachers in the areas of content knowledge, pedagogical coursework, and field experience between Teach For America and traditional pre-licensure program?  Is there evidence that suggest that these differences influence student achievement?

• What can be done to improve new teacher preparation in Teach For America the traditional pre-licensure program?