Discussion tools

Once you have set up a Wiki, you might want to conduct a virtual class discussion with your students about any number of topics.



You might have discussions on readings, or topics you have been covering in class, or perhaps you can facilitate an advising or counseling discussion for the emotional and social well being of your students.



Education research indicates that class discussions can achieve several learning goals in a classroom, whether you do it in person, in groups, or virtually. "Well-designed discussion tasks lead to progressive knowledge-seeking inquiry (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1994) or expansive learning (Engeström, 1999) where learners are actively synthesizing new information with prior knowledge and experiences in the process of creating not only new knowledge but also new understanding of the learning process" (Karen Ngeow and Yoon-San Kong). Well designed discussions can increase debate, critical inquiry, and reflection.



There are different kinds of discussion:

* Guided discussion tasks, where the teacher poses a question, and students respond to the question, as well as other students' responses by making comments or asing questions.

* Inquiry-based discussion tasks, where the teacher poses an issue and asks a series of questions that lead students to delve deeply into the topic. Students also have to evaluate information and other students' contributions, and synthesize supporting and opposing ideas relevant to the issue.

* Reflective discussion tasks, where students are required to think about their own roles in learning and discussion. Alternatively, students think about what they are learning and how it relates to their lives and the literature they are studying.

* Exploratory discussion tasks, where students use analytical skills to come up with alternative explanations of real life situations. This requires investigating personal assumptions or opinions and coming up with alternatives.

Depending on the wikisite used in your class, your wiki could have a variety of functions useful in discussions.

You could
- let each student create a page and journal/blog their reflection and then allow others to comment if your wiki allows for adding comments. Google sites has this feature, as does PBWiki, now called PBWorks.

- let students contribute to a threaded discussion, or start a new threaded discussion. Wetpaint has this built in capability.

- let students contribute to a Voicethread, a website that allows chat-style discussion, audio discussion, and video discussion.

There are as many ways to discuss books, topics, people, film, music, and events as there are ideas in your head. Try something and your students will be sure to help you with more ideas.