How to Write Good Discussion Questions

For a fantastic guide to writing good discussion questions, take a look at the chart below from “Generating and Facilitating Engaging and Effective Online Discussions” from the University of Oregon’s Teaching Effectiveness Program.

49 Ideas for Online Learning Activities

For a resource of ideas for online educational activities, check out the Online Teaching Activity Index from the Illinois Online Network.

The website suggests 49 activities that can be used in either online or hybrid courses, including some creative activities such as Internet Scavenger Hunt, Concept Mapping, Fishbowl, and Socratic Dialogue.

Active Learning Techniques in Online Courses

Active learning is an engaging form of learning that involves higher-order thinking skills such as evaluation, synthesis, and analysis. It is much more effective than the passive learning that occurs when students simply listen to a lecture or watch a powerpoint presentation. When engaged in active learning, students are forced to process and apply the information that they learned.

Watch this video to understand how professors of online courses can create opportunities for active learning.

6 Characteristics of Effective Online Courses

This well-developed presentation outlines 6 characteristics of effective online courses: access to technology, clear guidelines and procedures, participation, collaborative learning, transformative learning, assessment and evaluation. Six Characteristics of Effective Online Courses by Christopher T. Davis, Ph.D.