ONLINE ADJUNCT FACULTY TIP #29 - Posting "The Best" of Previous Students' Posts to Current Discussion Threads

I paid bills a few days ago. I hate writing checks - and I just learned that the price of a First Class stamp will rise again on Monday...how in the world did that slip my radar? I still have Forever stamps - and what I can't dispatch with those I can surely cover with my envelope of assorted vintage stamps of different denominations. Yeah, I could be a wiseguy and use up my 44 one-cent stamps all on one letter. No, won't do that - I like the Postal folks - and our mail service has been tremendously reliable. I've always thought that a stamp was one of the greatest bargains in America - yet with direct e-payment options, I could save about $40.00 a year in postage - and $40.00 is, well, a pair of black dress Dockers for me from Kohls. So, will I make the jump to e-payments and retire pants with frayed cuffs? No, not any time soon. I like the "nostalgia" of stamps and checks. There's some minute sense of control in that process - and who really looks at a man's pants cuffs anyway?

I've instructed some college courses over twenty times. Unlike my wardrobe, I evolve curriculum, and sure...some elements remain relevant and unchanged - just like the Periodic Table. In the past year, I've started to harvest the "best" discussion thread responses from students and compile them into one aggregate document specific to the corresponding thread. Why do I do this? Every once in a while, a student(s) posts something that is like a bulldozer knocking over a sandcastle! Paradigm shift! Wow - and what a waste to not share that creativity, that insight and knowledge, with others in the present and the future. How's it worked out, David? Great! Just super. I wait until one day after the required date that my current students are required to post their responses to the discussion threads - and then submit the compilation post with the heading, "Perspectives from Previous Students" A few rules for the compilation post:

1. Develop a compilation of 3 "awesome" student posts per thread -- and bump out old posts and allow fresh new posts to take over the top spots.
2. ALWAYS ask students for permission to use their posts in this manner and ALWAYS include the student's name with the post. I did receive permission from the student to use her post with this BLOG entry. Most students will feel it's an honor to have their entry added to the virtual Ring of Honor.
3. Never convey that previous students' posts are "right" -- but do convey that they are "though-provoking" and provide a "unique perspective" on the topic. A current student doesn't want to read about how "super terrific" the other students were when they took the course. Reminds me of Jan Brady Syndrome. Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!
4. Finally - check out the screenshot (above) of a post by Marawa regarding how she envisions public school classrooms to be like in the year 2030. The question was for a course emphasizing the inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms. Her response sizzled my mind - wow!!

ONLINE ADJUNCT FACULTY TIP #25 - Including a Student Generated & Maintained Topical Discussion Thread

My cheese was moved! Believe it or not, I allowed something in my current class that I had never allowed in my 6 years of teaching. No, nothing as daring as student photos... I added a STUDENT TOPICS discussion thread. The thread isn't a CHAT ROOM - found in the online formats of some universities. Instead, it's a professional forum for students to post their own topics of interest -- to initiate discussions on matters tangential to the course and step beyond the prescribed boundaries of the instructor-posted threads. It's empowerment - that's what it is! The thread is present the duration of the course. It's maintained by students. I credit posts and responses to the thread towards course participation. So far, the new discussions have remained aligned with the course - and there isn't a siphoning effect from the traditional threads. There's been no need to govern the thread - to jump in and say, "Hey, no more NCAA tournament Pick 'Em threads!" However, as I finished 398/500 in my tourny pool, perhaps I should have sought the advice of others - or outsourced my picks altogether...hey...isn't my Fantasy Football Draft coming up? Here' an idea for a new thread..."Who would you draft in the first round?"

Your Ad Here

ONLINE ADJUNCT FACULTY TIP #17 - Determining the appropriate number of discussion questions

What's the appropriate number of weekly discussion questions to post in an online course? My experiences suggest a minimal of 2 questions and a maximum of 4 questions. I also require the student to post a response to each discussion question that is posted by the instructor. The student is also required to respond to at least 6 other student discussion question responses per week. I have posted a screen shot of a typical discussion question.