How can you manage online discussions in large classes?

2 Organize your groups

One of the key decisions you need to make when planning your online discussions is how to group your students. Depending on the size of your class, the complexity of the topic, and the nature of the activity, you can use different grouping strategies. For example, you can use whole-class discussions, where all students participate in one forum; small-group discussions, where students are divided into subgroups of 3-6 members; or individual discussions, where students post their own responses and comment on others'. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages, so you need to weigh them carefully. For instance, whole-class discussions can increase the diversity of perspectives and foster a sense of community, but they can also be overwhelming and hard to monitor; small-group discussions can enhance the depth of interaction and feedback, but they can also create coordination and equity issues; and individual discussions can promote self-reflection and accountability, but they can also reduce the social and collaborative aspects of learning.

3 Set your expectations

Another important aspect of managing online discussions in large classes is setting clear and consistent expectations for your students. You need to communicate to your students what they are expected to do, how they are expected to do it, and how they will be evaluated. You can use rubrics, checklists, or guidelines to help your students understand the criteria and standards for their online discussion participation. You can also provide examples of good and bad posts and comments, and explain what makes them effective or ineffective. Furthermore, you need to establish some ground rules or norms for your online discussions, such as respecting different opinions, using appropriate language and tone, citing sources, and following deadlines.

4 Monitor and moderate

Once you have launched your online discussion activities, you need to monitor and moderate them regularly. Monitoring means keeping track of your students' progress, participation, and performance. You can use analytics tools or reports to see how often and how long your students access the online discussion forums, how many posts and comments they make, and how they interact with each other. You can also use feedback tools or surveys to gather your students' opinions and suggestions about the online discussion activities. Moderating means facilitating and guiding your students' online discussions, by asking questions, providing feedback, clarifying doubts, resolving conflicts, and summarizing key points. You can also use peer moderators or leaders, who are students who take on some of the moderation tasks and help you manage the online discussions.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?