Here are additional guidelines to share with students about their responses to discussion questions. Postings should continue a conversation and provide hooks for additional continuous dialogue. For more ideas on encouraging substantive postings, see the Course Beginnings (CB) Tip 13 which encourages learners to respond with answers to “What?” “Why

Influential Learning Theorists

Weave into your posting, where possible, related prior personal knowledge gained from experience, prior course work or work experience, discussions, and readings. When posting, use proper language, spelling, and grammar, similar to the tone and manner of expression that you would use in a professional environment. Refer to netiquette resources.

any particular assignment would be even more useful. I read the short story at least twice. I revised this paper at least once. I spent at least five hours on this paper. I started work on this paper at least three days ago. I have tried hard to do my best work on this paper. I proofread this paper at least twice for grammar, spelling, and punctuat

What is a content frame? Content frames are also called cognitive maps, visual graphics, and overviews. We like to use the term content frame because preparing a frame for a course helps learners get a holistic sense of a course. It presents a clear picture of what is to be learned in a course and what can be learned later as interests develop and

In the first posting, which can be done at the end of a week's cycle before the formal forum begins, learners answer these kinds of questions: What do they or others think or know about a particular topic, philosophy, or person? How, when, or from whom did they acquire this knowledge? How have they used this knowledge in the past? What images and w

The website run by Jane Hart—the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (C4LPT) in the UK. Jane also publishes a blog, Learning in the Modern Workplace, that adroitly addresses generic-learning issues as well: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/blog/. The website by Kathy Schrock for apps and Bloom's taxonomy: http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps

breadth and depth of thinking. Encourage comparisons and contrasts with the thinking of peers. For example, ask students to highlight how the perspectives of others differ from or overlap with the perspectives of others. These types of questions encourage fairness and breadth of thinking. Facilitation Strategies for Expansive

The best place to start in creating any syllabus is to use the syllabus template recommended by your institution. Most institutions or departments have a syllabus template set up within a course site. This template shows the required syllabus elements, for example, beginning with the learning goals, learning outcomes, and course requirements.