Subject: Re: [IFETS-DISCUSS] IFETS-DISCUSSION Digest - 8 Jun 2003 to 9 Jun 2003 (#2003-41)
From: Geoffrey Cain (geoffcain@YAHOO.COM)
Date: Mon 09 Jun 2003 - 17:33:07 MEST
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2003 08:33:07 -0700 From: Geoffrey Cain <geoffcain@YAHOO.COM> Subject: Re: [IFETS-DISCUSS] IFETS-DISCUSSION Digest - 8 Jun 2003 to 9 Jun 2003 (#2003-41)
Often, group activities and discussions are in courses because
instructors know that they are components that SHOULD be
included but they are not always clear about how or why. This
happens often with instructors who are new to online learning
or who are trying to put the lecture method online (a difficult
and pedagogically dubious task).
I think it is very important to have clear guidelines about
what is expected in a discussion from the students. These
guidelines must include why the discussion is taking place, who
will be there, and how participation will be evaluated. From
the business or administrative model, would you go to a meeting
without an agenda? Why would you participate in any online
class actitivity that was not clear? I have participated in
courses with both successful and unsuccessful discussion
sections and group projects. The thing that made all the
difference was rubrics. I had an instructor who started the
class off with a discussion about what participation was for,
what good participation looked like, and how it was evaluated.
We were all given rubrics that started with a set of criteria
that were something like:
1. Responded briefly, acknowleding the previous posting = 1
point
2. Responded with a comment directly pertinent to the previous
posting = 2 points
3. Responded with a thoughtfully making conclusions based on
other postings = 3
4. Significantly contributed to the creation of new knowledge -
integrating postings, readings, and outside research (i.e.
including relevent URLs in postings) = 5 points
It was acknowledged that not every discussion leads to number
4, but there should be some understanding of what is possible
and ideal. Also, when you bring the students in early on a
discussion about evaluation, the students feel like they are
contributing in the creation of the method and means of
assessment -- they have a sense of ownership in the course. It
is also a way of letting the students know what level of
participation you, as a facilitator, expect.
At the beginning of the class the instructor made sure that we
understood what the discussions were for an what was expected
and this significantly contributed to the success of the class.
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