Online discussions can take place in asynchronous or synchronous modes. This teaching tip offers guidance for asynchronous online discussions. See the CTE Teaching Tip Facilitating Effective Discussions for additional guidance.
Asynchronous discussions are where participants exchange ideas at different times over an extended period ranging from a few days to a few weeks – for example, in a discussion forum in a learning management system such as LEARN. Synchronous discussions are where participants exchange ideas at the same time – for example, via meeting apps and tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Advantages of Asynchronous Online Discussions
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Students can participate whenever it suits their schedule.
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Students have time to deliberate and develop their thoughts before they post them.
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Students often feel better prepared for class when they have engaged with the course content in advance.
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Instructors get a preview of how well students are understanding the content.
Designing Asynchronous Online Discussions
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Consider how the discussion activity will integrate into your course regarding your course content, teaching and assessment methods, and teaching philosophy. See the CTE Teaching Tip: Best Practices for Designing Blended Courses.
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Manage the size of discussion groups. If your course has 25 students, then you might be able to have all students participate in a single online discussion group. If your course has 200 students, you’ll likely want to create eight separate discussion groups containing 25 students each or twenty groups of ten. Your CTE Faculty Liaison can help you decide the best group size for your objectives.
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Assign grades. Assigning grades to online discussions is the biggest predictor of their success. If no grade is assigned, students are less likely to participate. It’s recommended that participation in online discussions counts for 10% to 20% of the course grade; research shows that no additional benefits result when the grade counts for more than 20% (deNoyelles, Zydney, & Chen, 2014).
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Give students clear assessment criteria for their participation in online discussions. Provide a discussion rubric (external website) with categories such as individual thinking (i.e., explaining your ideas), interactive thinking (i.e., responding to others), and group dynamics (e.g., balanced and consistent participation, conflict management, etc.). Consider using self-assessment strategies such as a participation portfolio, where students submit to you their three best posts for grading, along with their commentary on what makes them their best posts.
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Provide examples. Prior to starting an online discussion group, give students examples of what you consider to be an “A” post, a “B” post, a “C” post, and so on. Explain why each example merits that grade. You can create example posts yourself or you can use actual student posts from a previous course if you get their permission and share them anonymously.
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Provide structure for students – it leads to better learning (Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2005). Signal start and end dates for discussions and use the online discussion groups consistently throughout the term.
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Pose good questions. Avoid prompts that sound like exam questions; instead, consider using discussion strategies such as starter-wrapper: a student is assigned the role of “starter” and reads ahead to get the discussion started; another student is the “wrapper” and summarizes the discussion. For additional ideas, see Seminars and Discussion-Based Courses (UWaterloo website) and the Engage in Classroom Discussion section of this Learning Through Discussion page (external website).
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Clarify expectations. Students need clear parameters for discussion posts, such as length, frequency, timeliness, due dates, etc. If you want students to have discussed a topic that you’ll be taking up in class, clearly indicate the deadline by which they must have contributed their posts. You may also clarify expectations around language (e.g., level of formality, use of slang and emoji, and overall behaviour). See the CTE Teaching Tip: Student Guidelines for Communicating in Online, Professional Contexts.
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Help students understand team dynamics. Prior to starting an online discussion group, consider facilitating an activity to help students understand the dynamics of their team and what their own role in the group will be. If you have TAs assisting with the online discussion, ensure that they model the kinds of interactions you’re aiming for.
Facilitating Asynchronous Online Discussions
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Provide opportunities for everyone to be heard. Encourage reluctant participants and gently rein in dominant participants to make sure everyone has a chance to contribute. Foster a warm environment where students feel they are part of a group. See the CTE Teaching Tip: Supporting Students’ Mental Wellbeing: Instructional Strategies.
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Use your instructor presence to motivate and encourage students. Establish presence by posting the discussion questions/prompts, directing the groups in the discussions, providing feedback on how the discussion is going, and acknowledging especially insightful posts. Your presence helps to keep students focused on the task at hand and refine discussions. Strategies include asking thought-provoking questions, giving and asking for examples, encouraging students to make connections between posts, and creating “weaving” posts to link other good ideas together to advance the discussion (“V and X make a good point… What do others think?”).
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Encourage student ownership of the discussion. Just as in a traditional classroom discussion, students need to be reminded to talk to each other directly, not through you. Your own participation should be consistent and prompt but modest. Your presence online should not dominate the discussion; rather, it should foster discussion between students. Let students know that your role as facilitator might become less involved as the term progresses and students develop their own momentum. If students direct their responses to you, redirect those questions and comments to the group. Rather than providing answers, stimulate further debate by offering ideas and suggesting resources.
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Provide direct instruction. Direct instruction and feedback to the online discussion groups is sometimes necessary to keep students on track. Doing so can help address misconceptions and ensure that the discussion doesn’t meander into topics that are extraneous to the course. A summarizing, final comment can be a helpful way to conclude a discussion.
Support
If you or your students encounter technical issues with the online discussion groups, contact LEARN Help.
If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the CTE Support page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.
References
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Garrison, D. R., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2005). Facilitating cognitive presence in online learning: Interaction is not enough. The American journal of distance education, 19(3), 133-148.
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DeNoyelles, A., Zydney, J. M., & Chen, B. (2014). Strategies for creating a community of inquiry through online asynchronous discussions. Journal of online learning and teaching, 10(1), 153-165.
Resources
CTE Teaching Tips
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Student Guidelines for Communicating in Online, Professional Contexts
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Supporting Students’ Mental Wellbeing: Instructional Strategies
Additional Resources
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Ten Tips for Effective Online Discussions. Educause Review. November 21, 2018.
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Bernstein, A. G., & Isaac, C. (2018). Critical thinking criteria for evaluating online discussion. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 12(2), 11.
This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Learning. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.