Bill Greenwalt, Counseling and Student Affairs

Learning Outcomes:

Classroom discussions facilitate applied learning. Students synthesize material better if they have an opportunity to discuss the concepts with other students and the Instructor. Concepts that were not clearly understood become more real to the student. Instructors leading online discussions do have to adapt to the different format. Procedures used within the classroom may not work as well online.

Some students are fearful of posting messages, while others feel more free to enter into the dialogue. Establishing a safe environment within the cyberclassroom is just as important as it is within the traditional classroom. Ignoring the safety issue impedes full participation of the students. The instructor must first set the expectations and parameters of the discussions. Students respond well when they know what is expected. At the same time, the Instructor should not set strict guidelines that might limit or stop a full discussion format.