Discussion Board forums are an excellent way to engage students by posing provocative, well-thought-out open-ended and challenging questions to which students must respond. Faculty can specify whether students’ responses must be their own before they can see the submissions of other students. Another way to use discussion boards to encourage student engagement is to create a general Q&A forum where students can post questions that can be answered by other students and/or the instructor.
A journal is another useful tool for engaging students with class material by establishing how frequently they will be required to submit one. The purpose of a journal is to keep the conversation between each student and the professor private, as other students should not see another student’s entries unless the instructor decides to share them. Professors will provide feedback to students and advise them on whether the content of the journal is substantive or if improvements should be made. Using journals in the classroom to engage and motivate students is a great idea.
References
E-Journaling: Achieving Interactive Education Online, Jill Phipps, EDUCAUSE REVIEW
The Benefits of Course Journaling, Zachary Nowak and Reed Knappe, INSIDE HIGHER ED
