Variety is the spice of online discussions

We’ve likely all been there – setting up our discussions for the semester and stuck in an instructional rut: “Respond to this article and reply to two peers.” After several weeks, it can feel a bit boring, even to us as instructors. While a consistent course organization and predictable due dates do promote student success in online courses, we should feel confident in mixing up the format of assignments to add some variety.

A lightboard is a specialized teaching and presentation tool used primarily in educational and instructional settings. It is designed to help educators and presenters create engaging and visually appealing content while facing their audience and writing on a board.

Reading is a skill that we assume most of our students have, but the truth of the matter is that they often need support to ensure they’re reading critically and not passively.

Purpose for reading

In order to offer supports for students when it comes to their reading task, we first need to identify the purpose for reading. In order to do so, we can ask ourselves several questions before we assign a reading task:

Do you have an idea for video content for your classroom? A lecture you want to deliver in a different way? A lesson plan with interactive elements?

What if you already have video content online, but you’re not sure it’s what you need? Maybe the sound quality isn’t what you think it should be, or it’s missing some graphic elements that could enhance the viewing and learning experience.

As faculty, you are incredible instructors and subject matter experts, and your online courses embody the rigor and relevance paramount to our institution. We want your unique voice to be at the center of the courses you teach.