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Cheryl Todd"CREST+ Model: Writing Effective Online Discussion Questions"
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that also
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s/he must produce solid educational discussion questions
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engage
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reating educative questions "requires thought; to formulate it requires labor; and to pose it, tact" (p. 8).
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research that demonstrates that teaching online takes more time and more effort,
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measure cognitive group engagement and the letters of SQUAD stand for suggestion/question/unclassified/answer/delivery
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he CREST+ model covers the cognitive nature of the question [C], the reading basis [R], any experiential [E] possibility, style and type of question [ST] , and finally ways to structure a good question [+].
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hey want to be responsible for their own decisions and have self-direction, they have something to bring to the course content vis a vis their life experiences, they are ready to learn, they prefer a problem based approach, and they are motivated to learn that which will help them in their lives
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t is the learner’s work to create new meaning and build new cognitive structures
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Carefully designed questions can help the student move up the cognitive ladder while creating and designing meaning for themselves
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knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
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more understanding and less recitation
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While not every question can be designed for every learning style, varying the types of questions can aid in student response and participation
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tudents bring a lifetime of experiences t
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o the classroom, and they create their own meanings
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The CREST+ model, a model for writing effective online discussion questions, covers the cognitive nature of the question, the reading basis, any experiential possibility, style and type of question, and finally ways to structure a good question. This model encourages students to participate in online forum discussions, provides a template for new online faculty to use in creating effective discussion questions, and promotes a higher level processing of the material.
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nteraction does not just occur but must be intentionally incorporated into the design of the class, and research reminds us that facilitated discourse is critical to creating a community of inquiry
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In response to the need to balance interactivity with time economy, this research compresses the literature on writing good discussion questions into the CREST+ model that any online instructor can apply.
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REST+ model aids the instructor in creating the actual discussion questions
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cognitive nature of the question [C], the reading basis [R], any experiential [E] possibility, style and type of question [ST] , and finally ways to structure a good question [+].
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C: Cognitive Nature
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Knowles’ theory has six key points. Adults want to know why they are learning something, they want to be responsible for their own decisions and have self-direction, they have something to bring to the course content vis a vis their life experiences, they are ready to learn, they prefer a problem based approach, and they are motivated to learn that which will help them in their lives (Atherton, 2005).
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ve step model for online learning. The steps provide increasing complexity and learning as the student moves from access to online socialization, to information exchange, to knowledge construction to development, whereby the students use what they have learned.
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Carefully designed questions can help the student move up the cognitive ladder while creating and designing meaning for themselves (Ally, 2004).
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Depending on the learning objective, using Bloom’s Taxonomy will provide a starting place for the instructor in designing an appropriate level of question.
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varying the types of questions can aid in student response and participation (Ally, 2004).
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High participation and student engagement leads to cognitive presence, the extent to which learners are able to construct meaning through sustained communication and engage in critical thinking.
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the first step of the CREST+ model involves the instructor deciding on the best type of forum question to design, based on the cognitive needs of the class, the desired learning outcomes, and the in;color:black">R: Readings Base
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theoretical purpose
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consider the reading base for the question.
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Research by An and Levin (2003) found that this type of readings based discussion was often used as an opening for a main discussion to follow, or provide a platform for more sophisticated analysis after everyone was on the ‘same page’.
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One way to manage this is to use more than one forum and create roadblocks so that students must perform some part of a simpler forum, before heading to a more complex discussion that may involve reflection, critical inquiry, or analysis. This may be construed as artificial, but even those students who believe they already know the answer, can learn from fellow classmates why others may not be arriving at the same answer.
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Here the students are instructed to find existing, discipline-specific literature to prove or disprove, agree or disagree, or expand upon the concept under discussion.
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Students can share citations, findings, and links that can take the discussion far in terms of discipline specific research.
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students share their actual finding process,
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current events filter
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present a concept or theory without relying on texts or readings.
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tudents bring a lifetime of experiences to the classroom
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create their own meanings based on their prior experiences
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peer generated questions served an important role in helping learners construct new knowledge
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hese are questions designed around a concept or theory being taught but aimed directly at the personal story of the student.
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ense of community
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pairing
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Pair swapping
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Pair evaluating
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Grouping
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Assigning student roles in the discussion
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ocus on the central topic of the unit,
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evaluate presented ideas
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elate to current events
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ddress controversial issues
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nvolve case studies
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resent scenarios,
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uote contrasting views
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mandate role play
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complete online activities and summarize their experience
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ost building*
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Affect style.
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useful to vary the type of discussion questions
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Metacognitive questions.
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Follow-up questions.
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Student-created questions.
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valuation and reflection questions*.
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eflect on what they have learned so far.
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These include questions that ask for more evidence, questions that ask for clarification, open questions, linking or extension questions, hypothetical questions, cause and effect questions, and summary and synthesis questions.
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orking structure to the discussion forum and the actual question.
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dates
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instructions
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why are we doing this’ explanation
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protocols
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reminders
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Iteration
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Instructions
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pecific protocols for posting messages
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nstructor-provided guidelines helped increase student participation
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Dates
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With set beginning and ending dates, and clear instructions on participation, the forum becomes an orderly place to share ideas and build connections.
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cognitive value
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iterature based or not.
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design the style and type
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hether to develop an experience based question
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stablish the parameters
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meg hunter"esearch on online classes strongly identifies participation as a positive variable. Research on online teaching also reveals the time intensive practices involved with providing individualized attention and feedback. An online instructor must negotiate the balance between being responsive and managing time effectively. To that end, writing sound discussion questions, based on a model, is one way to invite and increase participation and maximize the time element. The CREST+ model, a model for writing effective online discussion questions, covers the cognitive nature of the question, the reading basis, any experiential possibility, style and type of question, and finally ways to structure a good question. This model encourages students to participate in online forum discussions, provides a template for new online faculty to use in creating effective discussion questions, and promotes a higher level processing of the material."
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05 Jan 15
Linda Aksomitis"Writing Effective Online Discussion Questions" - article gives concrete examples of different kinds of questions that encourage interaction and learning
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03 Mar 14
Denise KreigerBy Lynn Akin and Diane Neal; JOLT - Journal of Online Learning and Teaching
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29 Oct 13
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01 Oct 13
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23 Apr 13
Jeremiah GrabowskiResearch on online classes strongly identifies participation as a positive variable. Research on online teaching also reveals the time intensive practices involved with providing individualized attention and feedback. An online instructor must negotiate the balance between being responsive and managing time effectively. To that end, writing sound discussion questions, based on a model, is one way to invite and increase participation and maximize the time element. The CREST+ model, a model for writing effective online discussion questions, covers the cognitive nature of the question, the reading basis, any experiential possibility, style and type of question, and finally ways to structure a good question. This model encourages students to participate in online forum discussions, provides a template for new online faculty to use in creating effective discussion questions, and promotes a higher level processing of the material.
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Natalia AlekoWriting Effective Online Discussion Questions
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Leslie HandellCREST+ Model: Writing Effective Online Discussion Questions
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An ordinary function of any class, online or otherwise, is to teach and engage the students. Research on online education consistently finds that high and consistent interaction levels between students and the professor, and high interaction levels between the students themselves, is often seen as a positive variable (Hammond, 2005; Johnson, Aragon, Shaik, & Palmas-Rivas, 2000; Berge & Collins, 1996; Tu, 2000; Muirhead, 2001; Blignaut & Trollip, 2003; Vonderwell, 2003). The most common form of participation is student engagement in discussion forums established by the instructor. As Berge and Collins (1999) have observed, interaction does not just occur but must be intentionally incorporated into the design of the class, and research reminds us that facilitated discourse is critical to creating a community of inquiry (Anderson, 2004; Easton, 2003; Bullen, 1998).
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An ordinary function of any class, online or otherwise, is to teach and engage the students. Research on online education consistently finds that high and consistent interaction levels between students and the professor, and high interaction levels between the students themselves, is often seen as a positive variable (Hammond, 2005; Johnson, Aragon, Shaik, & Palmas-Rivas, 2000; Berge & Collins, 1996; Tu, 2000; Muirhead, 2001; Blignaut & Trollip, 2003; Vonderwell, 2003). The most common form of participation is student engagement in discussion forums established by the instructor. As Berge and Collins (1999) have observed, interaction does not just occur but must be intentionally incorporated into the design of the class, and research reminds us that facilitated discourse is critical to creating a community of inquiry (Anderson, 2004; Easton, 2003; Bullen, 1998).
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An online instructor should also be aware of the research that demonstrates that teaching online takes more time and more effort, especially due to the need to provide individualized attention (Cavanaugh, 2005; Stern, 2004). McLain (2005) found that online students attempted to contact their instructors twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, at least every fourteen hours.
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In response to the need to balance interactivity with time economy, this research compresses the literature on writing good discussion questions into the CREST+ model that any online instructor can apply
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he SQUAD model provides a way to measure cognitive group engagement and the letters of SQUAD stand for suggestion/question/unclassified/answer/delivery (Oriogun, Ravenscroft & Cook, 2005).
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IMPROVE, a model used for mathematical e-learning environments, stresses metacognitive development and stands for introduce, metaquestioning, practice, review, obtain mastery, verify and enrich (Kramarski & Gutman, 2006; Kramarski & Mizrachi, 2004). IRE (initiate, reply and evaluate) was used to examine online discourse patterns (An & Levin, 2003). Finally, a rubric for assessing interactivity was designed by Roblyer and Ekhami (2000).
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The CREST+ model aids the instructor in creating the actual discussion questions and is based on the existing literature, presentations by the authors, and their professional experiences as online educators. The CREST+ model covers the cognitive nature of the question [C], the reading basis [R], any experiential [E] possibility, style and type of question [ST] , and finally ways to structure a good question [+]. An appendix is provided showing a sample topic and how it would be structured by using many of the CREST+ steps
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C: Cognitive Nature
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A question can reflect many theoretical aspects of learning. Questions can be based on andragogy, constructivism, Bloom’s Taxonomy, learning styles, or building community
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Textbook Based
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The most convenient type of literature based forum question would be derived from assigned readings in the textbook, as everyone will have the book and presumably have read the assigned chapters
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Literature-Based*
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Literature-based questions that are not derived from the textbook form a second type of forum discussion questions with a literature foundation
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Here the students are instructed to find existing, discipline-specific literature to prove or disprove, agree or disagree, or expand upon the concept under discussion.
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Non-Literature Based
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A non-literature based question is a question designed to present a concept or theory without relying on texts or readings
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The Socratic method, a dialectic method of inquiry where two speakers reason together, can be an effective teaching method, but may be very difficult to employ in an asynchronous class.
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nline survey and direct the students to take the survey, then have all the results shared
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E: Experiential Element
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According to both andragogy and constructivism, students bring a lifetime of experiences to the classroom, and they create their own meanings based on their prior experiences (Salmon, 2003)
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An astute online instructor will provide discussion forums based on the experiences of the students enrolled in the class
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S and T: Style and Type of Question
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Style of question
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Collaborative learning tends to encourage knowledge building and deeper understanding by sharing ideas and building on responses (Salter, 2000; Piezon, 2005). One method of collaborative learning, called pairing, is to divide the students into pairs.
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Pair evaluating is letting the pair reflect on what they learned in trying to respond to the original question
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Grouping is another useful method
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Assigning student roles in the discussion is helpful to extending participation length.
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. According to the authors, questions could include those that focus on the central topic of the unit, require students to evaluate presented ideas, relate to current events, quote contrasting views, present scenarios, involve case studies, address controversial issues, mandate role play, or require students to complete online activities and summarize their experience for the clas
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Post building*. Throughout a single learning unit, discussion questions can be built on questions used earlier in the unit (Muilenberg & Berge, 2002). Post building can encourage students to further develop their thoughts about a topic if the questions are designed to build on the previous questions and require students to use various higher-order thinking skills.
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. Affect can be communicated through social presence and teacher im
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It can be expressed online through the use of communication techniques such as emoticons, humor, and self-disclosure (Rourke, Anderson, Garrison, & Archer, 2001; Swan, 2002)
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ype of Question
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Metacognitive questions
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Follow-up questions
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Student-created questions
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Evaluation and reflection questions
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: Structuring the Question*
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Iteration
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nstructions
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Dates. Set opening and closing dates for the forum
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Provide clear directions for participating in the forum
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18 Jan 12
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A discussion forum specifically designed to increase community would be one asking students to share something they already know about the subject at hand.
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Research by An and Levin (2003) found that this type of readings based discussion was often used as an opening for a main discussion to follow, or provide a platform for more sophisticated analysis after everyone was on the ‘same page’.
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The problem with this approach online is that the instructor cannot predict how and when the responses, both simple and complex, will be posted.
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One way to manage this is to use more than one forum and create roadblocks
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Here the students are instructed to find existing, discipline-specific literature to prove or disprove, agree or disagree, or expand upon the concept under discussion.
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The Socratic method,
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The online instructor cannot easily mimic dialogue so other techniques, such as scaffolding and peer generated questions may be used
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Not only does this multimedia approach free the discussion from the literature, it also can be used to satisfy a variety of learning styles
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hey create their own meanings based on their prior experiences
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Research by Choi, Land, and Turgeon (2005) found that peer generated questions served an important role in helping learners construct new knowledge. To ignore the needs of the learners to contribute and build connections is to have empty discussion forums.
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ersonal story of the student.
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sample discussion questions.
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Type of Question
In order to address different learning preferences and employ the variety of students' life experiences within the course's context, it is useful to vary the type of discussion questions presented to the class. According to research by Smith and Winking-Diaz (2004), varied instructional strategies will extend concepts to allow for sufficient time for discussion, argument, reflection, and re-evaluation. Suggestions for question types follow.
Metacognitive questions. In an experiment by Mevarech and Kramarski (2003), teachers trained mathematics students to ask metacognitive questions, which encourage students to construct their own meaning through self-questioning. In the authors' experiment, the students who were exposed to metacognitive questions outperformed the students who were not introduced to them. Their IMPROVE model includes facilitating metacognition through four types of questions: comprehension of the problem, making connections between former and current problems, using strategies to solve the current problem, and reflecting on the process.
Follow-up questions. Follow-up questions “ensure a depth of understanding or synthesis and evaluation of the topics discussed” (Christopher, Thomas, & Tallent-Runnels, 2004). Related to this tactic, del Valle, Öncü, Koksal, Fatma, Kim, Paul, & Duffy (2004) suggest using a broad approach to questioning students in order to encourage self-examination of their thoughts. They suggest asking students to consider different perspectives, provide clarification of their thoughts, identify outcomes, and answer the “so what” within the discussion.
Student-created questions. Pelz (2004) suggests assigning students the task of writing discussion questions in order to lead discussion, claiming it enables students to take control of their own learning. Pelz self-reports excellent results with this practice, saying “they ask thought-provoking questions which address the salient issues presented in the textbook” and other research has found that peer-generated questions to be powerful learning tools (Choi, Land, & Turgeon, 2005).
Evaluation and reflection questions*. The “one-minute assessment” (Hanna et al, 2000, p. 46) allows students to reflect on the course so far, the current lesson, or any other segment of the course. In response to this type of question, students can share their concerns, their opinions about the most important part of the sessions, what they found confusing, and so on. Instructors may choose to allow students to post anonymously in order to encourage student candor.
Built-in discussion evaluation is a good way to design reflection into the forum. Students can be asked, mid-point into the forum, to reflect on what they have learned so far. Students can peer evaluate, on a cognitive level, what patterns emerged from the class as a whole. Finally, the instructor can build in the one minute assessment, asking students to take one minute to evaluate the forum, the discussion, and the actual questions posed.
Other question types. Brookfield and Preskill (2005) propose several types of questions. These include questions that ask for more evidence, questions that ask for clarification, open questions, linking or extension questions, hypothetical questions, cause and effect questions, and summary and synthesis questions.
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Evaluation and reflection questions*. The “one-minute assessment” (Hanna et al, 2000, p. 46) allows students to reflect on the course so far, the current lesson, or any other segment of the course. In response to this type of question, students can share their concerns, their opinions about the most important part of the sessions, what they found confusing, and so on. Instructors may choose to allow students to post anonymously in order to encourage student candor.
Built-in discussion evaluation is a good way to design reflection into the forum. Students can be asked, mid-point into the forum, to reflect on what they have learned so far. Students can peer evaluate, on a cognitive level, what patterns emerged from the class as a whole. Finally, the instructor can build in the one minute assessment, asking students to take one minute to evaluate the forum, the discussion, and the actual questions posed.
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11 Aug 10
Norma ScagnoliResearch on online classes strongly identifies participation as a positive variable. Research on online teaching also reveals the time intensive practices involved with providing individualized attention and feedback. An online instructor must negotiate t
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31 Jul 10
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26 Jul 10
Joan HanorIdeas for promoting online discussions and interactivity.
constructivism teaching pedagogy discussion journal discussions questions
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28 Jun 10
jsatkiewiczWriting effective forum questions for online discussions
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04 Feb 10
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Metacognitive questions. In an experiment by Mevarech and Kramarski (2003), teachers trained mathematics students to ask metacognitive questions, which encourage students to construct their own meaning through self-questioning. In the authors' experiment, the students who were exposed to metacognitive questions outperformed the students who were not introduced to them. Their IMPROVE model includes facilitating metacognition through four types of questions: comprehension of the problem, making connections between former and current problems, using strategies to solve the current problem, and reflecting on the process.
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31 Jan 10
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The most convenient type of literature based forum question would be derived from assigned readings in the textbook
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The most
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cognitive nature of the question [C], the reading basis [R], any experiential [E] possibility, style and type of question [ST] , and finally ways to structure a good question [+].
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scaffolding
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Collaborative learning
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Collaborative learning
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Assigning student roles in the discussion is helpful to extending participation length. Students can serve as moderator to their group, they can serve as partial question designer, they can play an assigned part in a case study discussion or a role playing exercise, or they can actually assign the parts and act as stage manager for their group. Often some students step up and act as gate keepers, watching the discussion, making sure all aspects have been covered and often producing outline sheets of what has been covered. These types of students are often online discussion forum gifts and the best way to encourage this is to publicly thank them on the forum.
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Follow-up questions
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Student-created questions
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Aldena ChervaThis is a wonderful article on how to write effective online discussion questions. It also includes concrete examples of questions to illustrate the theory presented in the paper. The paper highlights student engagement in online learning
*effective discussion questions* *asynchronous discussions* *constructivist learning* *student engagement*
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Lisa BurkhalterCREST Model - Writing Effective Online Discussion Questions
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The CREST+ model covers the cognitive nature of the question [C], the reading basis [R], any experiential [E] possibility, style and type of question [ST] , and finally ways to structure a good question [+].
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The CREST+ model, a model for writing effective online discussion questions, covers the cognitive nature of the question, the reading basis, any experiential possibility, style and type of question, and finally ways to structure a good question. This model encourages students to participate in online forum discussions, provides a template for new online faculty to use in creating effective discussion questions, and promotes a higher level processing of the material.
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