For Faculty: COVID-19 Instructional Continuity in Spring 2020

• Asynchronous Online Discussion Strategies
• From University of Central Florida's Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository,  information about effective discussion prompts.
• Sample Discussion Board Questions that Work This four-page document from McMurry University explains seven approaches to discussion prompts. Each includes a one-paragraph rationale and an example.
• Questions to Keep Discussions Going, from Stephen Brookfield, Discussion as a way of teaching (see pgs. 43 and 44)
• From UC Boulder: Discussion Board Guidelines (for students)

• From the University of Rhode Island, here's an article about Best Practices in Managing Online Discussions.  Several of the tips are from student surveys and focus groups.
• From Educause, 10 Tips for Effective Online Discussions.
• From Inside Higher Ed, an article that discusses new approaches to online discussions.
• From The Discussion Project, Online Discussion Tips (includes a sample to kickstart your thinking around online discussion norms and working agreements to undergird discussions).

One of the tips all of these articles have in common is the idea that instructors need to be present in the discussion boards.  Let students lead the discussion but be sure to clarify, redirect, encourage, and deepen the discussions.  Model to students how you want them to engage and collaborate in the community.