1
Making the Message Board Work for You and Your
Class

• Swasati MukherjeeBen Ward

2
Frustration, Isolation, and Miscommunication

• The feedback systems currently used by many
  instructors are much like autopsies. Once class
  is over, they attempt to discern what went wrong.
  This process will become increasingly
  unacceptable as universities and corporations
  compete for the education of the global market
  (Champagne, 1998, p.2).

3
Basic Strategies

• Set the ground rules
• Provide an introductory activity
• Keep questions and activities open-ended and
  learner-focused
• Provide time
• Allow students the opportunity to find their own
  paths
• Model and facilitate

4
Tips

• Maintain netiquette policies
• Share and model participation expectations
• Use a grading rubric
• Establish response time policies

5
Common Pitfalls

• Replying to every post
• Absence of deadlines
• Insufficient wait-time
• Requiring too much
• Flaming

6
Successful Characteristics

• Honesty
• Responsiveness
• Relevance
• Respect
• Openness
• Empowerment

7
Alternative Uses

• Introductions
• Critiques and peer reviews
• Journals (web logs/blogs)
• Group projects
• Repositories for shared information
• Social places

8
Tools Worth Mentioning

• Archive
• Statistics
• Sort
• Search
• Sticky threads
• Locking threads
• File attachments