Tips for using discussion webs
Use a staggered deadline
If you have students post comments and responses in a discussion web, you may want to use staggered deadlines. For example, you might have students post comments on Tuesday and reply to peers by Thursday. This prevents procrastination and gives students a chance to read and think about what other students wrote.
Use Rubrics
Rubrics can clarify your expectations for the content and quality of discourse in discussion web postings. Two examples are:
- Stephanie Delaney's rubric from her online CGG class
- Allison Green and Wendy Swyt's rubric from Women on the Edge
Rubrics are even more effective if you write models for each category. See the Writing Across the Curriculum web site for more information on creating and using rubrics.
Use Groups
If you have students doing a lot of discussion, you may want to break the class into smaller discussion groups. The ideal size depends on the maturity of the students. More mature, independent students tend to work fine in small groups, less mature student who need more guidance work better in larger groups. See the how-to guide on Using Student Group Areas for details.
