Managing and Facilitating Discussions

The next section of this module focuses on the management and facilitation of online discussions. As we’ve just covered in the previous section, effective management and facilitation starts with effective design. In this section we’ll share tips for communicating expectations, moderating discussions, and engaging students.

Managing Discussions: Communicate Expectations

Communicating expectations is a foundational aspect of effective discussion management. As with any learning activity, sharing expectations with students makes for a more productive learning experience for all. Click the bars in the interaction below to learn more.

Facilitating Discussions

A facilitator of an online discussion fulfills several roles.

Click on the titles in the accordion below to learn more about each role.

Engaging Students in Discussions

While designing effective discussion prompts and activities is the best way to engage students in discussions, consider trying some of the strategies below to involve students more in discussions.

Click each plus sign in the graphic below to learn more.