Introduction to Writing Discussion (Board) Questions
This page provides an overview of the educational value and logistical structure of Discussion Questions to facilitate engagement and dialogue with and between your remote, face-to-face, and Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) students. The strategies and the samples provided here are designed to support any discussion-based teaching need, both using and independent of a structured “Discussion Board” forum (e.g., not limited to the standard Blackboard or LMS forum structure).
You should find usable discussion question samples/starter materials that can aid in the development of effective materials for your class. If you are looking for information on writing questions to prompt student dialogue, how to set up your discussion board, groups, etc. keep reading, and be sure to check out the other resources on these topics provided by the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support. Please contact CIS to be connected with appropriate staff for further discussions or assistance implementing any of the techniques mentioned.
What might this look like in (or out of) your “classroom”?
Discussion questions are an extremely valuable teaching tool. Additionally, the inherent flexibility of adapting to an electronic Discussion Board (DB) can also:
- accommodate a consistent learning experience across all kinds of diverse classroom and learning environments
- foster classroom community by bringing students who may not be in the same classroom at the same time together intellectually and collaboratively.
- provide instructors with a useful tool to aid in and streamline logistical efforts and management for classroom discussions.
Next Steps
Discussion (Board) Based Teaching and Learning
Considerations for Writing and Implementing Discussions
Samples for Discussion (Board) Based Teaching and Learning