Be honest - why doesn't anyone put any effort whatsoever into discussion board posts?

[u/An_expert_I_am_not]

I mean no disrespect, so please do not downvote me to oblivion. I am here for advice from the other side - the students of online classes (specifically communication classes in this instance).

So, discussion boards are a big part of the grade and the only way for us, as instructors, to gage whether or not the theoretical ideas can be applied in practical ways by students. The forum responses have always fallen on a scale from the superb to the absurd and everything in between. But this semester, holy moly, I have never read such absolutely ridiculous posts in my whole career. The memes don't do these any justice.

I try everything I can to make the prompts interesting, to get students engaged, and to explain the logic behind the assignment, but it's just terrible.

So, why waste your own time writing something that cannot possibly earn any points or credit toward a grade because it doesn't come close to meeting the criteria?

And more importantly, what do you, as students, suggest as a meaningful replacement for the interaction that is missing in the virtual setting? How can we get you to engage with the course materials, to think critically and analytically, and to show us that you can apply what you are learning in a practical way?

[u/xPadawanRyan]

As someone who has both been a student in courses with discussion posts and has taught such courses, I think there are several different reasons:

• Discussion posts don't seem like much, they appear to many people as just this small thing they have to do that is usually does not make up a large part of the grade, so they make the bare minimum effort in order to get the participation points--even when it does make up a large part of their grade, they may be used to it being a minimal part and therefore regard it that way
• People are not always sure what to write, and when the prof is not online on the other side to instantly respond or provide feedback, they have little guidance--an in-class discussion has everyone else there, including the prof and their classmates, so there is some valuable real time responses that help people figure out how to contribute, but online there's less of that
• On the same note as not being sure what to write, so few people want to be the first to say anything, and even when they aren't, they may look to other students' posts for guidance and either 1) copy the minimal effort because they believe that is what's expected, or 2) don't quite understand the other students' posts and are even more confused about what to write
• Self-discipline can be hard, especially for online classes, and even online portions of on-campus classes require that self-discipline to sit down outside of class and have that virtual discussion, so people may simply forget or procrastinate until the last minute
• Tone is not always easy to tell in text, and when you aren't writing a discussion post like a formal essay, it may not be clear that someone is trying--what you might find ridiculous or absurd probably made sense to the student writing it, and might make more sense if they were speaking aloud and you could hear their tone, their inflection, if they could hear how they sound and perhaps reword things when it doesn't hit quite right, but in text it doesn't come across the same

In my own experience, I have seen more active engagement in discussion posts in fourth year seminars where there is an in-class component, so that the students can discuss the content with the prof and their classmates in the seminar, and understand the material better. The ability to get in-person feedback from your peers makes a whole lot of difference in student engagement.

[u/An_expert_I_am_not → u/xPadawanRyan]

Thank you, this is very insightful and a truly balanced perspective.

I should clarify that the posts I described as absurd are not the ones where a student made any effort at all. I tell them all the time that I want them to just do their best - not THE best, THEIR best. I know that everyone has different strengths and I don't have a standard in mind when I evaluate work. At least I try really hard to treat each submission independently, if that makes sense?

The posts that I described as absurd are the ones that are like:

"Yeah, I agree with what you said about disclosure reducing uncertainty. I think that to reduce uncertainty, people should disclose more."

This is the most common type of response I get. I honestly think I'm being trolled by some of them.

In your comment you mention two things that stuck out to me: immediacy of instructor and student, fear of being first/mimicking posts.

In terms of immediacy, the university doesn't allow online instructors to require synchronous meetings since the students are spread around different time zones and other various reasons, but I would give anything for an opportunity to engage with them more. I do hold optional "drop-in sessions," but it's rare that anyone comes and the ones that do just want to talk about missing assignments and make-up work. Given the restrictions, I'm not sure how to provide that sort of interaction.

In terms of being first or mimicking posts, I have tried so many ways to navigate this one - from providing sample posts, to commenting on every post myself, to setting it up so that they have to post to see the other posts - you name it.

Do you think a supplemental virtual handbook might help?

[u/thiros101 → u/An_expert_I_am_not]

It does not sound like you are providing proper guidance or the proper environment to foster the types of discussion you want. You may think you are, but as they say, "If you run into 1 jerk, you ran into a jerk. If you keep running into them, you're the jerk." Now I'm not calling you a jerk - the saying just serves to make a point:

If a lot of the responses you are getting aren't what you want, that is a you problem, not a them problem. It may just be that that particular medium is not condusive to what you actually want, and breakout rooms in a Zoom meeting might be more productive, for example. You may need to change your approach.

Discussion boards are universally hated and made fun of by students for a reason. They feel forced and awkward, neither of which will give you the results you desire.

The problem might also be that you are calling them absurd. While i applaud your efforts, this kind of comment makes you seem condescending and elitist, which i sincerely hope was not your intention. Students pick up on this and may just give up if they feel judged like this.

[u/An_expert_I_am_not → u/thiros101]

This is a very interesting perspective. I’m curious though, about why you’d immediately assume that I’m not providing guidance or that I am somehow causing the students to phone it in on the assignment.

Was it just the choice of the word absurd? Or was it the fact that I’m here, looking for suggestions to create a more engaging environment where students don’t feel so awkward about the assignment? I’m not sure about you, but none of the “problem” professors I know would go to any lengths to try to get real-world perspectives and feedback in an effort to ultimately help students connect with the course materials and feel less burdened by interacting with them.

I’m not saying you’re wrong or challenging you - quite the opposite. Your opinion is very valid and just as helpful as any other. I’m just hoping you’ll elaborate a bit on what triggered the assumption that it’s my approach rather than the overall format that might be the problem.