Online Discussions Conversation

Observe and Consider

Now that we've all had an opportunity to consider some of the fundamentals of quality online discussions, we want to share with you one experienced UW-Madison faculty member's take on online discussions.

We had the opportunity to talk with Professor Julie Allen from the UW-Madison Department of Scandanavian Studies about her experience (and success) using online discussions in her courses.  Listen as Julie highlights her goals, strategies, challenges, and instructional approach to using online discussions in her undergraduate and graduate Scandinavian literature courses. While you're listening, consider what your instructional approach is (or might be) to online discussions and how it is different or similiar to Julie's.

Download the .mp3 (right-click and 'save link as')

Week 2 Activities

Observe & Consider

Julie shared many pertinent elements that are involved in creating and managing a good online discussion for a course, as well as some challenges that she faced and strategies for how she modified her approach in light of these challenges. Jonathan, David, Theresa, and Chad share their reactions to the discussion with Julie and their related thoughts on online discussions:

Download the .mp3 (right-click and 'save link as')

Now share any ideas, experiences, revelations, or resources that come to mind after listening to Julie's interview and the post-interview podcast. Choose one or both of the activities to let us know about your experiences and resources for online discussions.

Connect and Share

Activity 1: Resource sharing

Share an article, link, video, or other online resource that speaks to a pedagogical issue relevant to online discussions in your context. Explain this resource's relevance to your approach to online discussions (or inversely, how it differs from your approach). When finished we'll have an archive of resources that is customized for us!

Activity 1 (on WikiSpaces)

Activity 2: Discuss your online discussion experiences

Share an experience of an online discussion in which you participated as a student or facilated as an instructor. How did it support your pedagogy or directly support the learning goals for your class? If you haven't participated in an online discussion, list a few pedagogical challeges of your own that could be addressed with an online discussion. Finally, if you listened to the podcast with Julie Allen, offer your reactions, comments or thoughts as they relate to your own teaching.

Once you've shared a contribution, respond to another participant and follow the conversation throughout Week 2! We will be periodically joining this discussion throughout the week to observe your conversation, to participate in this discussion, and to help answer any questions that we can.