ONLINE FORA/DISCUSSION THREADS:

This will be likely the most widely used mode of asynchronous class discussion in an online setting, using a learning management system (like Google Clasroom or similar), blog, or other platform. Instructors will want to provide clear guidelines for students about when posts and responses are due (date and time), what students should be writing about (even for open-ended responses, some kind of prompt will be helpful, whether it’s a specific question to answer or instructions for what kinds of things to include in a more freeform response), and how long student posts should be if that is a factor in assessment (about how many sentences, words, or paragraphs). Similarly, if students are expected to respond to each other, this should be stated explicitly. Instructors should try to make this as clear and low-stress an intellectual space as possible, in order to extend or create something like the community we often feel in our in- person classrooms.

• Activity may take place: individually
• Submit assignment by: learning management system / online post

DISCUSSION / WRITING BUDDIES:

It can be helpful to assign every member of the class a discussion and writing buddy with whom to carry on regular conversation about the course material via an array of synchronous and asynchronous methods, check in about assignments and other admin, and read and offer feedback on assignments. Some instructors may find it helpful to break students into groups of three rather than two, in case one student loses touch or has to pause their studies for any reason. If instructors use the buddy system, they will want to explain why the system is being used, offer clear guidelines about how often buddies are expected to work with each other, and describe the concrete outcomes that they expect from each of these check-ins (such as posing questions about the material to the instructor, peer editing/crit and feedback on individual work, a screenshot of their text exchange or videochat, co-authored google doc with each person’s contribution in a different color, or any of the assignments listed on this page that can be turned into small group work).

Buddies can do either asynchronous or synchronous activities together; crucially, they can determine the best mediums in which to hold their own meetings based on their circumstances. This can create flexibility for students who have different kinds of access, but also create an automatic go-to group of classmates for each student, which helps with inclusion.

• Activity may take place: in pairs / small groups in person or via phone call, videochat, messaging app, email
• Submit assignments: in person, email, learning management system / online post

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSES TO STUDENT DISCUSSION:

In order to respond to student discussion in a clear and focused way, instructors may wish to establish a regular system of commenting on asynchronous or synchronous student discussions about the course content. Through activities such as Online fora/discussion threads and Small group discussion / writing buddies, instructors may gather student questions, interpretations, and claims about course material and use these as the jumping-off point for producing writing, audio, or video responses. For seminar-style courses where student- instructor discourse is central to learning, such a mode of response can create opportunities for back-and-forth exchange in an asynchronous way and replace (or supplement) standalone lectures.

Note: audio and video recording can result in large file sizes that can be difficult for students to access in low-bandwidth circumstances. Keep such responses brief to minimize file size, and/or consult with IT about how best to manage file size so that students can access this material.

• Share with students: email, learning management system (Google classroom has a built-in video-recording function) / online post