Designing Online Groups

Jane Zahner, Ph.D.Department of Curriculum, Leadership, & Technology

Valdosta State Universityjzahner@valdosta.edu

Purposes of the Session

Encourage consideration of online discussion groups for teaching, learning, assessment, & collaboration

Purposes of the Session

Introduce design strategy for online discussion activities to support desired outcomes

WebminsterD.O.G.Show

Purposes of the Session

Acknowledge common problems and solutions with online discussion groups

Discussions as Instruction

Do you use?How/why?Problems?Tried electronic?Problems?Resources/Support?

Teaching?Learning?

Assessment? Collaboration?

Why Electronic?

What Electronic?

E-mailInstant MessagingWeb-based threaded discussionLogged ChatAudio/Video Conference

Syn

chro

nous

or

Asy

nch

ron

ous?

My Credentials

3125 messages in one semester with 28 students

What’s the objective?

Learning and/or assessment?

Synchronous and/or asynchronous?

Public/private?

Basis of Discussion

Design a D.O.G.Factors to Consider

Role of leader

Size of group

Composition of group

Duration of discussion

Design a D.O.G.Factors to Consider

Discussion as product?

Product of discussion?

Group/individual/both?

Formative/summative evaluation?

Design a D.O.G.Evaluation Factors

Let’s try Rapid Prototyping! What’s the objective?

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Learning or Assessment?

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Synchronous or Asynchonous?

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Public or Private Groups?

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Basis of Discussion (readings, research, experience?)Discuss the use of key health

planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Role of Instructor (participate, observe, interact, correct, lead?)

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Composition/Size of Group; # of groups

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Assessment (discussion as product or product of discussion?)

Discuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

D.O.G. TeamsExchange ideas with your colleagues;encourage visits to your classes.

Not done yet, but helps to work together…

Visible & redundant

Five W’s are included

Who? Each student? Instructor?

What? Tone-Words-Basis-Subject

When? Deadline-Frequency

Where? REPLY or COMPOSE

Why? Fdbk-Grade-Promote-Extend

What makes a good prompt?C

om

mu

nic

ati

on

Write a prompt that would result in the discussion group of your dreams…Discuss the use of key health

planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

D.O.G. JudgingExamine the Prompt

Which were included?

Who?What?When?Where?Why?

Call & ResponseDiscuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Each of you is required to REPLY to this message with a 2-3 paragraph posting no later than Friday, May 16, by 5:00 P.M.In your posting you should choose one of the key health planning concepts outlined in your text and discuss the importance of that concept in relation to what you’ve learned about community health nursing practice so far in this course. As your subject line, use a heading descriptive of the concept you have chosen. As always, correct grammar, spelling, and referencing (if needed) are expected. This posting will count 10 points within your Discussion Group grade.

Day in the LifeDiscuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

COMPOSE a message in which you describe a (fictional) person working within a community health nursing practice. He or she may be a medical professional or someone who works in another capacity. Include job roles and duties, and add some personality (have fun with this but limit your profile to 2-3 paragraphs). Post no later than Wednesday, May 14, by 5:00 P.M. By Saturday, you should read a peer’s posting, and post a REPLY in which you describe how key health planning concepts influence the fictional character.

Working GroupDiscuss the use of key health planning concepts in community health nursing practice.

Use your private groups to discuss and organize your teamwork on the Health Planning in Practice assignment. Each week, your group is required to post a progress report, no later than 5:00 P.M. on Friday. There is no set format for the report; however, you should describe what you’ve done, and indicate at what point you are in the project. These progress reports should be compiled and are required to be placed in the appendix of your final group report.

Online Discussion Groups

don’t have to be painful…

but they often are.

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

SOLUTION

Quant/QualOrganizationFormatting

FeedbackStorage

Quant/QualOrganization

FormattingFeedbackStorage

SOLUTION

What’s the Practice?

File namesType of writing expectedTools (e.g., html creator, spellcheck)

Subject linesREPLYRedundancy

Quant/QualOrganization

FormattingFeedbackStorage

Good Hygiene

Adobe Acrobat

MicrosoftWord

Quant/QualOrganization

FormattingFeedbackStorage

SOLUTION

What’s the Follow-up?

(they) Do posting assignments over time(they) Create printable view(they) Copy & paste(they) Organize(they) Annotate(they) Explain(we) Assess & give feedback(they and we) Archive for documentation, research, anticipation, & demonstration

Quant/QualOrganization

FormattingFeedbackStorage

Good Software

Motivate Students & Self (WIIFM?)

Motivate by structure & purpose.Successful online discussions are:

clearly introduced and described, contain clear guidelines and rubrics, provide examples, are assigned as required activities, and include assessment of participation.

Same as F2F: skilled ‘someone’ in charge who facilitates and organizes.

Rose, R., & Smith, A. (2007). Online discussions. In C. Cavanaugh & R. Blomeyer (Eds.), What works in K-12 online Learning (pp. 143-160). Washington, DC: ISTE.

BO

NU

S!