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Learning Objective 1: Describe three reflective discussion strategies to use in a online/blended classroom.
Learning Objective 2: Discuss two differences between discussion strategies in face-to-face versus distance classrooms.
Background: Reflective discussions provide students with opportunities to bring their own experiences and interpretations into the online classroom; however, facilitating these discussions in an engaging and productive way can be challenging. Using online facilitative strategies allows students to have control over, and become engaged in, their learning while acknowledging time and distance constraints. Faculty, as facilitators rather than disseminators, reflect theoretically-based, learner-centered, supportive teaching approaches to diverse student populations in online settings.
Conceptual Frameworks: Transformative and adult learning theories based on the work of multiple theorists.
Methods: General principles of online facilitation and these reflective discussion techniques will be explained: critical insights; aha! moments; SEI: sharing, experience, and insights; strengths reflections; field exemplars. In the critical insights technique, students choose an element from assigned readings that has been particularly relevant to them during the selected time period (week, module) and write several paragraphs summarizing the reading and explaining its importance to them. Students then pose one or two questions to the group related to their readings. Aha! moments enable students to share exciting experiences, readings, or insights with the group as a style of online journaling. With the SEI technique, students reflect on experiences they have had throughout the class and discuss which were most and least useful to them. Strengths reflection is a useful, positive, introductory exercise where students reflect on their perceived strengths and discuss how to use them effectively. Field exemplars allow students to share and discuss their experiences and issues and tell what they have learned from them. These online strategies require higher-order thinking, foster analysis and synthesis leading to transformative learning. Students reported high levels of learning and satisfaction using these strategies.
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