Using Discussion Boards Effectively - Teaching Principles

Love Those You Teach

• Teaching in the Savior’s Way shows how the Savior ensured that all felt valued and respected. In a public forum like a discussion board, you should strive for this in every interaction.

• When a teacher replies with kindness and respect to honest questions or statements, this encourages the class to participate more. It helps them to feel that their contributions are valued and that they belong in the class.

• The loving responses you share with learners in a discussion board can serve as a model to other learners on how to respond to their classmates.

Learners Talking to Each Other

• The class will get more out of the discussion board activity if they are talking with each other rather than responding only to the teacher or to a discussion prompt.

• Generally, discussion board posts and responses are visible to everyone in the class, which helps create a feeling of class unity.

• An online teacher should have a strong presence in an online discussion board without dominating it. Teachers should encourage the class to talk with each other in their discussion board posts and replies.

Relevance and Belonging

• More than any other online class activity, a discussion board allows individual learners to ask questions and share personal experiences.

• Encourage learners to ask questions and share personal experiences. When they ask questions, they are more likely to feel that the course is relevant to their own life circumstances.

• Listen, observe, and discern. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Teaching is not talking and telling. Rather, teaching is observing, listening, and discerning so we then know what to say” (“A Discussion with Elder Bednar” [Seminaries and Institutes training broadcast, May 2012]). Consider asking clarifying statements before responding to posts to make sure you really understand their comments.

Invite Diligent Learning

• If some discussion board posts are not quite right or the thought is incomplete, let the learner work on it a little. Consider how you might ask an inspired question to help them dig deeper on their own.

• Let learners take responsibility to answer each other’s questions. Encourage them to read and respond to each other’s posts. Setting expectations like these early in a class can help online discussion boards be more effective.

Discuss with Your Supervisor

Ponder the following questions and how they might apply to your teaching. Prepare to discuss them with your local S&I supervisor.

• What other principles from Teaching in the Savior’s Way could be applied to discussion board activities?

• What examples can you or your supervisor share that demonstrate these principles in action within a discussion board?

• As mentioned previously, the Savior worked to ensure those He taught felt valued and respected. When has a teacher helped you to feel this way? Share this experience with your supervisor.