Effective Teaching Through Online Discussion—Enhancing Pedagogy and Practice

This chapter looks at how teachers can convene and moderate online discussions in ways that are effective for student learning and engagement; time-efficient; varied and satisfying. The chapter tackles basic organizational factors such as grouping, topics, links to class, and assignments, purpose/s, and how to guide students. A key point of reference is acknowledgement of common concerns for teachers as we strive to keep the online discussions interesting and varied, to engage student participation and promote learning. The chapter provides guidance on how to establish a purpose for discussion, maintain appropriate presence, intervene to enhance learning, and manage time and self effectively to keep workload under control.