Page Comparison

Aim and  d escription

Develop  student  critical analysis and communication skills . Students  write a critique of a text, either written or multimedia , and  post it to the discussion forum. They must then  comment on each other’s critiques   using criteria or guidance set by the tutor .  The activity could occur  multiple times in a term  but should be manageable to the student.   

Suggested assessment  

Discussion forum feedback  on clarity of argument, evidence, communication skills, and grammar  feeds forward into a summative critical review.   

Actions  r equired by  l earner  

Write a critical review of a reading, engage with other student's reviews.  

Actions  r equired by  t utor(s)  

• Add  text  to be reviewed:
  • For a reading ,  use the  Reading List activity . 
  • For a Video, add a Media Resource .
• Create Forum :  
  • Forum type:  Standard  forum for general use .   
  • Moderate forum :  e ncourage students to view other reviews and feedback.   
  • Create a Turnitin assignment  dropbox  for student to submit final summative review.  

Aim  and  d escription

Have students apply their knowledge in a n authentic  scenario. Students are given a scenario and a series of case questions  that  they must respond  to  in the discussion forum. Once they have provided their own answers, they must provide constructive feedback on other student  posts.   

Suggested assessment

Students are assessed on the quality and quantity of their posts, including providing a complete response to the case or scenario , using relevant evidence, clarity of expression, grammar, making the minimum number of substantial posts, and their ability to contribute rather than dominate the discussion.  

Actions Required by Learner

Respond to case scenario and questions in a substantive and timely manner. Make a constructive response to another student's post.   

Actions Required by Tutor(s)

• Create  Advanced   Forum:  
  • Forum Type: select  Q and A forum if you want students to answer first before they see other responses,  or   Standard forum  for general use  if students can answer any question on a first come first served basis.  
  • Set  Discussion locking  to one or two weeks .  
• Organise  Forum:  
  • Create a  topic discussion  which includes the spark or question stem, all the questions, and a summary of any instructions for students to follow. Pin it to the top of the forum.
  • Create a topic discussion for each question. This helps break down posts into a thread for each question.
  • Assign students to specific questions by appending their name to the title of the discussion post.
• Moderate Forum :  u se  structured points to add to  discussion, and  address any misconceptions. 
• P ost a summary statement at the end of each case providing feedback and summary notes for students to  refer back  to.
• Grade posts in Moodle or separately e.g. Excel rubric which is then uploaded to students.  

Tim Neumann has kindly provided an example on running a  live online  debate with 2 groups on Moodle .  The example provided below substitutes an  asynchronous discussion forum  for the live  debate  and  includes a potential setup for when there are more than two debate groups .  

Aim and description

Have students  practice their critical thinking ,  persuasive writing , group work and communication skills .    Students are d i vided  into  groups  “For” and “Against”  and are assigned  to  a  thesis statement  to debate in a discussion forum.  

Suggested assessment

Student  groups are assessed on their understanding of the  thesis  statement,  presentation   of the ir argument ,  and  group  work .  Students are also assigned to  one   debate to read, and vote pre and post debate.   

Actions Required by Learner

Critically analyse  thesis statement  from an assigned point of view ;   develop arguments   and anticipate  counterarguments .  Organise  argument  structure  and  order of speaking.  Take turns in groups, p o st ing   to the forum  opening arguments, followed by speaker arguments , and finally closing arguments .    

Actions Required by Tutor(s)

• Organise debate groups:  
  • Assign students to  debate groups, one for each thesis statement,  in which   students  are allocated to   “For” or “Against” .   
  • A ssign  each   debate g roup  another  d ebate  to view/follow as an audience .  
  • Post an announcement with group information, you might want to summarise group allocations in a table.   
• Create Debate Groups in Moodle :    
  • Name Groups by Thesis Statement ;  
  • Include  “ For ”  and  “ Against ”  students in the one group.   
• Create  Advanced Forum for Practice:  
  • Forum Type:   Standard forum for general use ; 
  • Group Mode:  Separate  Groups ;  
• Create  Advanced Forum for the debate:    
  • Description: Include list of groups and thesis statements, and a summary of debate format;  
  • Forum Type:   Standard forum for general use;  
  • Set  Discussion locking  to one week;  
  • Group Mode:  Visible Groups ;  
  • Set  Restrict Access  to  Date  you want forum to be released.  
• Prepare Debate Forum:  
  • Create one Topic Discussion for each debate contribution, e.g. Opening Statements, Speaker 1, Speaker 2, Speaker 3, and Closing Statements (select option to copy to all groups) .  
• Create  Poll s (pre and post debate) :  
  • For small number of groups: Create two Choice activities  for each debate .    
  • For larger cohorts  and multiple groups : Create  two   Opinio   Poll s  which allow student to specify the debate they are voting on and their vote. A dd the  poll URLs  to Moodle.  
  • Release  pre   poll .  
  • Release post poll  after the debate conclude s  (either manually or with Restrict Access) .   
• Moderate  debate :  
  • Ann ou nce the start of the debate ( s )  and encourage students to complete pre-poll .  
  • Check in  periodically  to make sure  debate (s)  are  progressing.  
  • Announce the  end of the  debate ( s ) ,  encourag e  students to  comple te  post poll , and to  read  other group  debate s .  
  • Announce the debate winners.  
• Grade  Group  debate  e.g. Excel rubric which is then uploaded to students  and/or peer feedback using Opinio.  

Aim and  d escription  

Have students share  and discuss  their experiences with one another  to facilitate reflective thinking  and peer learning. The experience could be a time on placement,  a common experience or a  general theme .  

Suggested assessment

Although discussion posts are not assessed, they can be used as evidence in a summative reflective blog.  

Actions Required by Learner

Write a reflective first-hand account of  an experience.  Post a reply to at least one other post.   

Actions Required by Tutor(s)

• Create  Advanced  Forum:  
  • Forum Type:   Standard forum for general use  
• Request a  Reflect class blog  for students to make summative reflective blog posts.   
• Moderate Forum:   
  • E ncourage participation :  “What do others think?”  “Did anyone have a similar experience?”  
  • Challenge students to reflect:  “You’ve mentioned X, why do you think this happened ?”   “H ow  would you approach things differently now ? ”  
• Post a summary statement at the end of each case providing feedback and summar ising emergent themes .

Aim and  d escription  

Encourage empathetic and critical thinking by having students  research and act out given roles. A  student's  responses   must demonstrate  their understanding of  the role as applied to a scenario provided by the teacher.  For example,  a  discussion of sustainability where students are given the role of conservationists, scientists, politicians, NGOs, stakeholders ( see  Oliver 2016). Alternatively, roles could be distinguished  using  a   theoretical model  or level of analysis ,  e.g.  “ e xplain the phenomena of  h yperinflation from  one of the following  perspectives :  Post-Keynesian,  Monetarist , Macroeconomic, Microeconomic, or Behavioural Economics. ”  

Suggested assessment  

Students are assessed on t heir knowledge of the role as appl ied  in the given scenario , as  well as their  presentation, communication skills, and group contribution.  

Actions Required by Learner  

Collaborate with other group members to  respond to  the  scenario and present to  the  class. Engage with  and critique  other presentations.  Respond within the time allowed to follow up questions.  

Actions Required by Tutor(s)

• Create Advanced Forum :  
  • Forum type:  Standard  f orum  for general use .  
  • Group mode:  Visible groups  (so that all students can view).  
  • Add a  new discussion  with opening scenario. summary of any instructions for students to follow. Pin it to the top of the forum.  
• Create Rehearsal Forum for students to discuss their roles, research the scenario, practice  order of speaking.  
  • Forum type:  Standard forum for general use .  
  • Group mode:  Separate groups  (so that only the students in the group and moderator can see the rehearsal).  
  • Add a  new discussion  with example scenario.  
• Moderate forum:    
  • Release forum.  
  • Post scenario  and invite responses.   
  • A sk  follow  up questions  to the group or individuals  e.g. “How would each of you respond to the claim that X ? ”   “Michael, what would you consider is the key difference between your explanation and that of Y?”  
  • Facilitate  any  questions from the audience.   

References  

Oliver, Simon. (2016). Integrating role-play with case study and carbon footprint monitoring: A transformative approach to enhancing learners’ social  behavior  for a more sustainable environment. 11. 1323-1335. 10.12973/ijese.2016.346a.