sample discussion board questions

Active Learning Instructional Strategy: Discussion Board Prompts

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Overview and Introduction: The WHAT and WHO

As detailed in the Active Learning: Overview and Introduction Quick Reference Guide , active learning is a term used to describe instructional methods that increase student involvement and engagement in the learning process.  Students can be active in a variety of ways; interacting with the instructor, with one another, and with the content.  Discussion boards can encourage these interactions, providing opportunities for students to reflect and apply recently-learned concepts and to interact with their peers while discussing course content.  

Discussion boards (also known as discussion forums, message boards, online forums, or discussion groups) are simply a way to have conversations outside of the in-person classroom setting.  Discussion boards allow learners to respond to comments and questions and are typically organized in threads below a main question.  Discussion boards are a great way to help students stay engaged in the course, to answer questions that can’t be reviewed in class, and to give context to ideas when class time is limited. There are a variety of tools that can be used to manage classroom discussion boards including Canvas , Slack , YellowDig , and Ed Discussions . 

Discussion boards can be included in nearly any course.  Prompts can be used to increase content comprehension, retention, and metacognitive skills in any type of course and provide students with social connection outside of the classroom setting.  

Implementation and Timing: The WHEN, WHERE, and HOW

There is no ‘right time’ to use discussion boards. They can be implemented throughout the course as a way to introduce or reflect on content, to improve student engagement, and as a way to encourage peer-to-peer interaction. While there is no right answer to when questions should be included, it may be helpful to set the expectation of active participation in classroom discussion boards beginning at the start of the course.  Suddenly introducing discussion board activities half way through the course may be confusing and frustrating for students.  

Plan for Implementation

• Managing Discussions . Let students know how active you will be in online discussion forums and consider managing discussion boards with available tools, including Canvas , Slack , YellowDig , and Ed Discussions .  
• Explain the why . Explain to students why you are incorporating discussion posts and ensure that students see a clear connection between the online discussion board posts and other elements of the course.  Acknowledge that they will need to invest time into the discussion posts and explain how these types of activities encourage content comprehension, retention, and metacognitive skills.
• Grading: Reward what you want to see. In a perfect world, students would be intrinsically motivated to discuss ideas posted on discussion boards and would instinctively know how to do so effectively, but most research shows that even doctoral students need guidance including grading instructions, sample posts, and clear instructions to be successful (Amaro-Jimenz & Beckett, 2010). With this in mind, it is important that you determine your reason for including a discussion board – is it a forum for checking comprehension or ‘pre-work’, a repository for course knowledge, or a place for peer-to-peer interaction centered on content? Once you have made this determination, find a rubric or grading plan that supports your instructional goals for the discussion board. 

Create interesting posts

Not sure what to include in a discussion board prompt? Below are a few suggestions to get you started.

• Ask Socrative questions.  Here are Six types of Socratic questions you can use. 
• Ask probing questions . Help students reflect and clarify their understanding and reach higher levels of understanding by posing probing questions .
• Ask real-world or hypothetical questions. Show an image or real-world question related to the topic you have been covering or provide a hypothetical scenario for students. For example, in a Information Security course, an instructor may present a hypothetical scenario about a company being hacked, the students would then have to answer or come up with a project plan that addresses how they would handle the hack if they were the IT director or 3rd party company. This type of hypothetical example provides students the opportunity to apply recently-learned information to a hypothetical, real-world example. 
• Give supplementary practice problems. Post three supplementary practice questions similar to something students would see in a homework assignment.  
• Post a TEDTalk . Post relevant TEDTalks (or other related lecture videos) that are engaging for your students to watch.  Ask three thought-provoking prompts to encourage discussion.
• Relevant Journal Article . Post a relevant journal article (not a random webpage) that is applicable and important for students to read. Ask three thought-provoking prompts to encourage discussion.
• Relevant Engineering Technology. Post a new engineering technology or innovation that is relevant for your students to learn about. Ask three thought-provoking prompts to encourage discussion.
• Useful Skills and Student Tips. UGTAs or other students can reflect on their experiences as a student and find some resources that may help students with material or transitions going on in your class. They post these tips and encourage discussion.

After Class

Reflect. Did the discussion posts improve student comprehension of the topic? What updates or changes can you make to the posts for future classes based on this round of implementation?

Rationale and Research: The WHY

Active learning, rooted in the theory of constructivism, champions the idea that students should actively participate in the learning process.  Active Learning decentralizes the learning from the instructor and supports them in presenting information more effectively. Active Learning, including discussion posts, also better prepare students for the current workplace, where they will need to interact frequently with their peers, discussing complex ideas and verbalizing their understanding as well as their questions.  

Discussion posts provide students with the opportunity to ask questions, apply newly acquired skills, build skills in metacognition, and receive more frequent and immediate feedback on content comprehension. It also creates more opportunities for social and collaborative interaction, two factors which have been shown to be particularly important for underrepresented students in STEM disciplines (Crescente & Lee, 2011).

Additional Resources and References

Interested in learning more?  Here are additional resources on discussion prompts as well as citations and links to articles referenced in this document.

• ASU UTO LX Design Experience Kits (XKits) – a library of plug-and-play assignments, discussions and templates in Canvas Commons
• Sample Discussion Board Rubric and directions – Purdue Repository for Online Teaching and Learning
• Online Discussion Rubric – Instructional Design Team, Center for Distributed Learning, UCF.
• Online Discussion Board Rubric – Dr. Denise Lowe , Instructional Designer at UCF’s Center for Distributed Learning. Subject: non-subject.
• Discussion Forum Rubrics – Association of College and University Educators (ACUE)

Beckett, G., Amaro-Jiménez, C., & Beckett, K. (2010). Students’ use of asynchronous discussions for academic discourse socialization, Distance Education, 31 :3, 315-33. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2010.513956 Cranney, M., Alexander, J. L., Wallace, W., & Alfano, L. (2011). Instructor’s discussion forum effort: Is it worth it? MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 7( 3), 337-348. http://jolt.merlot.org/vol7no3/cranney_0911.pdf Crescente, M. L., & Lee, D. (2011). Critical issues of m-learning: design models, adoption processes, and future trends.  Journal of the Chinese institute of industrial engineers ,  28 (2), 111-123. DOI: 10.1080/10170669.2010.548856

How to Write Discussion Questions That Actually Spark Discussions

🎁 In addition to this blog post, we have created a whole free course on this topic. The course includes new material, actual discussions between real learners, knowledge checks, a certification, and access to an exclusive community of people working in education. Check out the course here .

Running an online discussion board is a very different challenge from having a classroom discussion. In-person instructors can ask discussion questions on the fly, rephrase themselves for clarity, and direct the flow of a conversation with follow-ups. Online, you only have one shot to ask a discussion question that catches students’ interest and compels them to speak up. The stakes are higher than you think. Sad, empty discussion boards, just like a reliance on dry online lectures, lead to disengaged students and lackluster online experiences .

On the flip side, active discussion boards can elevate an online class from okay to extraordinary. Studies show that participating in classroom discussions reinforces knowledge retention through active learning and strengthens students’ critical-thinking skills.

If you can get a real discussion going between students, then you can reap the benefits of community and collaborative learning , even if your class never meets face-to-face. To do this, you will have to look beyond the dry writing prompts and uninspired reading-comprehension questions that so often sink a conversation before it begins. You’ll have to craft questions that inspire students to actually engage and interact with each other in a lively discussion.

Here’s how.

Promote Divergent Thinking

Divergent thinking, the ability to consider many possible solutions instead of just one, is the key to a lively discussion board. While it’s important to assess students’ comprehension of the course materials, creating questions with a single right answer shuts down discussion before it starts. Consider Bloom’s Taxonomy of knowledge, which illustrates different levels of learning and understanding. The bottom of the pyramid represents the most basic levels of learning, where thinkers converge on one correct answer. The top of the pyramid, the higher level of learning, is where learners’ diverge to create their own unique answers.

Avoid questions that utilize only the bottom three layers of the pyramid: remember (fact recall), understand (explain concepts), and apply (use information to solve or interpret). These techniques are great for tests or essay assignments, but they won’t create debate, conversation, or original thought. Great discussion questions do more than just test comprehension: They turn students from passive receptors of knowledge into active participants in their education. To push students into exercising higher-level thinking, write discussion questions that pull from the top of the pyramid:

• Analyze: Ask students to examine, classify, or question course materials to draw their own conclusions.
• Evaluate: Ask students to form an opinion and defend it; critique or appraise course materials.
• Create: Ask students to use what they’ve learned to construct something new.

Avoid closed-ended questions, such as those that ask students to list characteristics, define terms, explain concepts, or recall facts. Once the correct answer has been given, there isn’t much more to say, so the discussion fizzles out. Instead, create open-ended questions that don’t have a right or wrong answer. That way, each student can give their own unique perspective as they respond to and build on their classmates’ answers.

Have Learners Share What They Already Know

Discussion questions don't just have to focus on the creation or analysis of new information. Discussion questions that ask learners to share what they already know about a new idea, problem, or related concept, can be an equally impactful way to get the conversation flowing.

Discussion questions focused on uncovering what learners already know have several solid advantages:

• Position learners as active participants in knowledge creation and sharing, rather than passive receptacles waiting to be taught new information
• Reduce barriers to participation in the discussion; you don't have to come up with an innovative idea to have something worth sharing
• Give instructors an insight into existing knowledge, so we can tailor upcoming exercises accordingly

These kind of discussion questions work best when framed similar to a think-pair-share exercise, according to the Designing for Learning blog . Ask learners to share "what they think and where, when, or how they might have heard about a concept, person, idea or related event".

For example, questions that ask learners to share prior knowledge might be framed as:

• "What do you already know about this topic? What do you want to know?"
• "Agree or disagree with the following statement, and explain why your prior knowledge justifies your opinion"

These kind of questions work best at the beginning of a new module or topic.

Encourage Analysis

Tap into students’ higher reasoning skills by posing questions that require them to critically think about course materials to draw their own conclusions. Instead of just regurgitating information, students will have to first apply what they’ve learned to the problem and then make connections by questioning, comparing, and organizing their ideas. To create analytical discussion questions, root your query in the required readings and lectures. Be careful not to slide into questions with a single right or wrong answer; instead, give students room to interpret and evaluate facts as they craft an argument. This will also create space for discussion as students compare their conclusions. Here are some examples of discussion questions that encourage analytical thinking: Ask students to critique an author’s argument: Are the theories that Darwin presented in 'On the Origin of Species' anti-religion? Ask students to compare two theories: Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that human beings are inherently good. Thomas Hobbes disagreed, calling the human condition “nasty, brutish, and short.” Do you believe that humans are inherently good? Why or why not? Use causal reasoning : Based on the materials we’ve studied this semester, what do you believe is responsible for global warming? Ask questions that promote metacognition : How has your thinking about early childhood psychology changed since you began this course? ‍

Help All Learners Engage

Low engagement is not the only reason for empty discussion boards in online courses. In some cases, learners are eager to participate but don't feel comfortable doing so.

It's not hard to see why. The internet isn't always the kindest place, and sharing new ideas or opinions can make people vulnerable to a Twitter-style pile-on. As instructors we need to find ways to help the less confident share their thoughts.

The way we phrase our discussion questions and prompts can help achieve that aim:

Set Ground Rules Up Front

At the start of your discussion exercise, or at the top of the discussion board, make the rules of engagement clear. You may want to ask participants to avoid 'personalizing' an issue, or state what kind of language is unacceptable.

Use Unbiased Language in Your Questions

Gender neutral language ('salesperson' rather than 'salesman') and inclusive pronouns ('they/them') might help some people feel more welcome in the discussion. Remove any gender-specific or race-specific phrases in your discussion questions to make sure no one feels like they're not qualified to join the discussion.

Leverage Smaller Discussion Groups

Regardless of how confident your learners are, sometimes discussion boards just get too unruly to engage with. To avoid a situation in which the discussion becomes confused, try breaking your learners into smaller discussion groups and asking them to answer questions that way. Eduflow's discussion activity , for example, allows you to separate learners into smaller groups to create a safer learning environment.

Ask for Opinions

If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that everyone has opinions, and people love sharing them. Tap into this almost primal instinct by getting students talking not just about what they know but also about what they believe. Asking for opinions forces students to employ higher-level evaluation skills to justify their arguments. These questions require students to evaluate materials, create arguments, and defend those stances with facts and theories. To create questions that require students to take a stance: Ask them to compare two things: Who was the more influential Victorian poet, Tennyson or Hardy? Have them find a better way to do something: Traditionally, election polling has been conducted solely over the phone. How could this process be updated for the modern era while still maintaining poll integrity? Encourage them to argue why something is great (or terrible): Is there value in funding drug-prevention programs in public elementary schools? Why or why not? ‍

Ask Relational Questions

Get students invested in course materials by tying them to their everyday lives. Likewise, you can encourage discussion participation by writing questions that tie to current events or issues that are important to students. These questions draw students in because they allow them to apply their own perspectives and personal histories to the course materials. The answers can bring out strongly held opinions, which are usually the basis of healthy debates. A productive discussion can encourage students to question their assumptions and learn about alternate perspectives.   To help students relate to the discussion questions: Ask for examples from students’ lives: Give an example of a time that you witnessed racial inequality. How did it shape or alter your worldview? Discuss timely issues: Last year, over 5,000 species were moved to the list of endangered animals. What role should biologists play in conservation? Brainstorm solutions to societal problems: What could be changed to improve clean-water regulations in the United States? ‍

Introduce Controversy

Give students something to argue about. Questions designed to create dissent encourages to construct arguments and formulate opinions, and students will have to actively synthesize the material to form and support an opinion. While controversy is the quickest way to spark a long and passionate online discussion, be careful when introducing sensitive subjects. Learning forums should be a safe space for all students to express ideas without feeling threatened or subjugated due to their race, gender, orientation, or religious beliefs. Controversial questions will require heavier instructor moderation to ensure that the conversations stay civil. To introduce an element of controversy into your discussions: Create questions that challenge common orthodoxies: Traditionally, law enforcement has served as the community’s first line of defense against criminal behavior, but many are beginning to question this model. What would an alternate approach to community policing look like, and how effective do you think it would be? Relate questions to current events: Should hospitals keep formula on site, or should they promote breastfeeding above all other options? Reference major debates in your academic field: Will humanity ever discover extraterrestrial life? What form might it take? ‍

Ask Fewer Questions, but Better Ones

It can be hard to know which questions will resonate with students and which will fall flat, but avoid the temptation to pepper the discussion board with questions to see what will stick. This will overwhelm students and result in less participation, not more. Instead, ask fewer questions , but spend your time crafting truly great ones that appeal to students’ higher reasoning skills and spur meaningful discussion. Great discussion questions:

• Are clear and easy to understand. Avoid acronyms and scholarly language. Most students will not spend five minutes just trying to decipher what you’re asking.
• Foster a dialogue. Beyond just having no single right answer, a good discussion question leaves room for people to not just answer the question differently but build on those answers to create a back-and-forth discussion as well.
• Are inclusive. Everyone in the class should be equally prepared to answer the question, no matter what their background. Avoid questions that include details that are specific to only one culture, economic class, or gender. For example, if you’re teaching a class to a group of international students, don’t write questions based on the concept of American Thanksgiving.
• Align with the course objectives. Just because something is interesting or would spark a lively debate doesn’t necessarily mean it’s relevant to the course. Your ultimate goal is to encourage students to use and apply the course materials, so your questions should align with that aim. ‍

Writing Great Discussion Questions Is Only Half the Battle

For most students, participating in class discussions is a calculated risk. They’re putting their carefully constructed arguments and deeply held opinions on the line, with a real possibility of criticism from their peers. You can encourage more participation and discussion by mitigating that risk and creating a welcoming space for students to share. After you’ve posed your killer question, continue to moderate and guide the discussion to keep it flowing civilly. This can be daunting in a very large online class, but an LMS with good moderation features, like the ability to section students into smaller discussion groups , can help. For more materials on collaborative learning, pedagogy, and creating fruitful online discussions, join our newsletter .

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Sample Materials for Discussion Boards

Sometimes I find it helpful to have some examples of assessment materials; so, I know what’s worked for someone else. That’s why we thought we’d share with you same sample assignment sheets for discussion boards, responses, and rubrics.

There isn’t a strict formula here, but for all of our assessments, it’s a good idea (following Flower Darby) to describe what you want students to do, why you want them to do it, how to do it, and when to do it. That holds true for discussion board assignments.

Below please find a sample description of the discussion-board assignment which I gave to my first-year ENGL class. Feel free to take what you need, tweak, add, change, or ignore (!), if it’s helpful.

Guidelines for Discussion Board Posts

As I’m sure you noticed in the syllabus, a good chunk of your final grade is reserved for your contributions to the discussion boards; they’re a good way for us to develop our thinking about the versions of love that each poem, play, story, or novel give voice to. So, I thought it would be a good idea to offer some guidelines and suggestions as you think about and create those posts.

Every week, you’re required to make two posts – one before Monday (at 5 pm) and one before the following Thursday (at noon). That way all the discussion doesn’t happen just near the end of the module. Of course, you can post more frequently, but I’m suggesting everyone limit themselves to five posts / week, somewhere between 100-200 words each.

When posting a response, reply initially to my question by using the “Create Thread” button, if it is available, or the “Reply” button, if I have already created the initial thread. Avoid creating a new forum.

I’m also requiring that at least one (and maybe both or all) of your posts responds to someone else one post (mine or another student’s).

As you write your posts, keep a few things in mind:

• Each post should reflect your engagement with text or the idea.
• Evidence-based claims are great; feel free to refer directly to the text.
• Also feel free to give voice to a particular impression or a question that you don’t have the answer to. In these cases, it would be helpful to explain where that impression or that question comes from.
• These discussion boards work best when we try to have an ongoing conversation about an idea or a text. Respond to one another’s comments – and check back regularly.
• We can disagree with and challenge ideas, but not people. Say, “I find that idea difficult especially in light of …” not “You’re being difficult” or “I can’t believe you don’t understand poetry.” Respect people above all else; polite and engaged discussion is always productive. Avoid flaming or personal attacks.
• This is an English class, so we’re going to try to avoid abbreviations (e.g., LOL). Make sure your posts are polished and clearly articulate your ideas.

Finally, I think there are some good models to follow. One way to approach these discussions is to treat it like an improv exercise. The secret to good improv (all comedians know this) is to approach each idea by saying “Yes, and ….” So, in this case, you might recognize the validity of a person’s claim; that’s the yes part: “I’m intrigued by your post’s recognition of Romeo’s weirdness ….” Then, add to it; that’s the “and” part: “Juliet’s weird too, especially when she …” In that way, you’re pushing the discussion forward.

Another strategy is to try to match a specific claim about a character or a poem or a novel to other cases in the text or in the module: “I hadn’t really thought about the father in The Road that way. And I agree he appears unpredictable, even volatile, when they are at the farmhouse. But I don’t think that he is always like that. His dominant mode seems to be …” In this way, you’re testing a claim’s validity.

Some Sample Responses for a Discussion Boards in “ENGL 1005: Love and Hate”

It might be helpful if I point out a few features of these responses or others that I’ve written.

• I say, “hmmm…” a lot. Or “huh.” Or “I think I understand your point of view.” I use those phrases because I want to show students that I’m thinking about their responses.
• I use exclamation marks way more than I do in other kinds of writing. I’m trying to signal my enthusiasm for the students’ ideas – and that’s the most obvious way I can do it.
• I try to start my posts with something I like about what the student has said; and then I try to ask a question that will expand their thinking or strengthen their idea. Usually, that push for expansion or strength takes the form of a question (or five).
• Here are some samples of responses that I’ve posted on discussion boards:

1.  Hmmmm ... the nurse and the friar; I really like those suggestions -- and thanks for the detailed explanations.

I’d like to hear more about what they represent. Failed institutional authority? Failed care-givers? The failure of Veronan society to help Romeo and Juliet? Or are they there to prove how much love incites a kind of madness? Or something else altogether?

2.  Thanks, [NAME] and [NAME]! I found your posts to be quite convincing, mostly because they speak to the idea that love doesn't conquer all here; or at least love can't wash out her shame. It must exist along side of it.

I’m curious, [NAME], about the phrase “true love.” What does that mean here? Just better than her love for the Marquis? I'd love to hear some thoughts on that relationship ...

3.  Oh, that’s an intriguing way to put it, [NAME]: “forever in the shadow of her past”! And you’re right; that does make the story about trauma. Thanks for drawing our attention to that aspect of the story.

But what is the trauma -- the pain that the Marquis has caused (i.e., the fright that comes with nearly being killed)? Or is it the trauma born of foolishness or selfishness?

Since discussion boards are a new form of communication for our students, we should be clear about how we’re evaluating them. A rubic might also help with marking, so that we can be consistent in our evaluation. Find below some possible rubrics.

Adapted from Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository at UCF

A 3-Point Scale, which Measures the Quality and Relevance of the Post

3: creative, thorough, motivating, helpful, prompts more discussion, reflective

2: appropriate, relevant, considerate of previous posts

1: unhelpful, off-topic, minimal effort (e.g., “I agree”)

More Samples:

https://www.purdue.edu/innovativelearning/supporting-instruction/portal/files/8.2_Sample_Discussion_Board_Rubric_LDT.pdf

https://www1.udel.edu/janet/MARC2006/rubric.html

https://courses.dcs.wisc.edu/design-teaching/FacilitationManagement_Spring2016/facilitation-module/4_Online_Discussions/resources/sample_rubrics_for_discussions_Simmons.pdf

A downloadable, Microsoft Word version of this resource is available.

Written by: Joel Baetz

Edited by: Kristine Weglarz

Last Updated: 24 August 2020

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Effective Online Discussion Questions

Online course discussion is an excellent opportunity for teaching and prompting critical thinking. By presenting challenging open-ended questions, you can engage in a sort of asynchronous Socratic questioning with your students. 

Use the following framework to structure your discussion questions or prompts. 

• Provide a setup . Present a statement, observation, or scenario that requires students to reexamine or apply what they're learning.   
• Personal reflections : “What do you think about ___?” “How do you feel about ___?” 
• Past experiences : “In the past, how have you responded when ___?” “Have you ever had an experience where ___?” 
• Rational conclusions : “What conclusion do you draw from ___|?” “Of ___, ___, or ___, which choice makes the most sense given ___?” 
• Process or order : “How would you go about ___?” “In what order would you ___?” 
• Guesses or estimates : “What would you do if ___?” “What might have happened if ___?” 
• Superlatives : “What is the worst approach to ___?” “What is the most appropriate ___?”  
• "Why?"  
• "Why or why not?" 
• "Explain your reasoning." 
• "Defend your response through one of the theoretical frameworks in this week's reading."
• "Explain your response using data from this week's field observations." 

See also: 

MacKnight, C. B. (2000). Teaching Critical Thinking through Online Discussions.  Educause Quarterly, 23  (4), 38–41.  

Murchú , D. Ó., & Muirhead, B. (2005). Insights into Promoting Critical Thinking in Online Classes .  International Journal of Instructional Technology .  

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• Mar 10, 2022

How To Run a Better Discussion Board: A Template and a Response to Critics

Updated: May 9, 2023

Justin Robertson , City University of Hong Kong

Key Statement: Discussion boards serve as platforms for students to practice active learning by sharing arguments, ideas, and sources of information. Discussion boards are a training ground for students to develop their ability to participate in intellectual conversations online.

Introduction

Developing the habit of regular writing is an important way to work through ideas, both inside and outside the classroom. Some educators are, therefore, turning more often to smaller writing assignments in their courses. There is disagreement over one possible addition to courses: discussion boards. Critics contend that students are ill-equipped to properly critique and build on other student posts, leading to shallow engagement on discussion boards (Koblic, 2020; Mintz, 2020). In this post, I argue that discussion boards serve as platforms for students to practice active learning by sharing arguments, ideas, and sources of information. I also contend that discussion boards are a training ground for students to develop their ability to participate in intellectual conversations online. This contrasts with the typical experience on social media: “We either get into hostile and mostly pointless arguments, or do everything we can to avoid arguing at all” (Leslie, 2021, para. 11). Discussion boards offer a medium for students to experience more positive online interactions, hopefully providing lessons that can be applied in their own lives. By following the discussion board model presented in this article, students can:

learn to express themselves succinctly;

gain a better grasp of course content;

form closer connections with their classmates;

engage with the readings and lectures during the beginning of the course;

recognize that friendly agreements and disagreements are a large part of social life and often bring ideas more clearly into focus; and

discover new research interests that can be pursued in major assignments or other courses.

The Discussion Board Model in Practice

In discussion boards in my courses, students adopt one mode each week. They either deliver an original post or offer feedback on their classmates’ ideas. I divide the class into two groups. The first group begins as the posting group, and the second group begins as the commenting group. Their roles alternate in subsequent weeks. I post a framing question after the lecture and allow 3.5 days for the first group of students to upload posts, followed by 3.5 days for the other group to make comments. Posts are 200 to 300 words, while the two required comments should each be 100–200 words. Students are asked to list their word count, and I explain that no post over the word count will be graded. Comments are not restricted to the post itself; challenging, supporting or building on another student’s comment to the post is encouraged.

Photo credit, Nick Morrison, Unsplash.

Some instructors favor a more flexible discussion board model. Students might be free to start a thread or comment on other posts as long as their contributions meet a certain weekly word threshold. Alternatively, they might be asked to prepare one post and two comments per weekly discussion board. Smith (2015) worries that students who post near the deadline are disadvantaged, as a large proportion of students will have already completed their weekly contributions, resulting in less student interaction with these later posts. My system prevents this outcome, as comments can only be made once the posting deadline for each week has passed.

I believe that limiting discussion boards to 5 weeks maximizes their impact and avoids fatigue associated with boards nearly every week in a semester. One solution to the odd number of weeks is to build students’ confidence by rotating posting and commenting during the first 4 weeks and then implementing a different model for the final discussion board.

In the fifth and final board/week, I ask students to each contribute one post and one comment, with the first half of the week devoted to posts and the second half reserved for comments. For the post, students are responsible for identifying an interesting hypothesis advanced by a classmate in the first four weeks and proposing a way of testing that hypothesis. The comment then builds on or questions the proposed empirical test presented by a classmate.

Instructors must also decide on the extent to which they engage with the discussion board. There are two distinct positions. Darby (2020) asks, “Would you announce a discussion in your brick-and-mortar classroom, and then walk out the door? If not, don’t do it online” (para. 6). In this school of thought, instructors should be active participants on discussion boards. A student echoes Darby when she writes:

Get in there, instructors. Post. Respond. Even if it is a sentence or two.

Openly clarify when people are getting things wrong. In my experience,

just posting at peers feels a little futile and it feels great to get a response

from the instructor. (Koblic, 2020, para. 9)

Blackmon (2012) takes the opposing stance, counseling instructors to “intentionally minimize their social presence in online forums (p. 231), because students need room to develop their ideas. Smith (2015) concurs, arguing that deeper student learning is more likely when the instructor steps back from the discussion board. A middle ground is possible. Throughout the week, my discussion boards are a student-led space, but I conclude each board by posting a synthesis demonstrating that I have closely followed the discussion. This post opens up new avenues and recommends additional learning resources.

While a summary post from the instructor formally concludes the discussion board for the week, students are aware that the material will continue to be drawn upon in the course. I might present case studies, organize student debates, poll the class on positions taken by students, and formulate essay or exam questions based on challenging or insightful statements. I also return to my notes throughout the semester to look for relevant points raised by students that can be incorporated into current material.

Possible Modifications

Trudeau (2005) proposes that discussion boards have the highest value when students use them before class. To achieve this effect, instructors could pair post-class discussion boards with a short pre-class activity to elicit questions. I often employ what I call a “five points before class” exercise wherein students must post five questions and comments related to the forthcoming class once during the semester. The resulting material provides the instructor with subjects of common interest, areas of confusion, and issues that can be examined in more depth during the lecture. The sequence flows from the five points before class, to the class itself, and then to a discussion board where themes are explored in greater detail. There are other modifications that instructors could also consider. The instructor might host a practice discussion board session (Smith, 2015). The instructor might also (as discussed by Knoles in Lang, 2008) evaluate only the three discussion board posts that each student feels best to encapsulate their contributions. From my perspective, practice sessions seem unnecessary at the postsecondary level and my targeted discussion board template avoids the need to run semester-long discussion boards, with students selecting only snapshots of their work to be graded.

The discussion board template that I have outlined is based upon the belief that commenting is an active learning skill that requires training, beginning as early as the first year in postsecondary education. Advanced commenting skills, developed through this and other exercises at the institution, will be broadly used in the personal and professional lives of these graduates.

Discussion Questions

What are the advantages and disadvantages of discussion boards that strictly separate posting and commenting responsibilities compared to the more conventional discussion board model in which these roles are combined each week?

What is the “right” number of discussion boards in a course?

Should instructors actively participate in discussion boards or limit their contribution to a weekly synthesis?

Blackmon, S. J. (2012) Outcomes of chat and discussion board use in online

learning: A research synthesis. Journal of Educators Online , 9 (2), 1–19.

Darby, F. (2020, August 24) .The secret weapon of good online teaching:

Discussion forums. The Chronicle of Higher Education .

https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-secret-weapon-of-good-online-

teaching-discussion-forums

Koblic, R. (2020, February 25). Discussion boards suck . LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/discussion-boards-suck-rachel-koblic/

Lang, J. M. (2008) On course: A week-by-week guide to your first semester of

college teaching . Harvard University Press.

Leslie, I. (2021, February 16). How to have better arguments online. The Guardian .

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/16/how-to-have-better-

arguments-social-media-politics-conflict

Mintz, S. (2020, February 20). Beyond the discussion board [Blog post]. Inside

Higher Ed . https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-

gamma/beyond-discussion-board

Smith, D. N. (2015). Effectively using discussion boards to engage students in

introductory leadership courses. Journal of Leadership Education , 14 (2), 229–

237. https://doi.org/10.12806/V14/I2/AB3

Trudeau, R. H. (2005). Get them to read, get them to talk: Using discussion forums

to enhance student learning. Journal of Political Science Education , 1 (3), 289–

322. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512160500261178

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Writing Discussion Forum Questions

Creating engaging discussion forum questions is not as difficult as it may seem. As the instructor of your course, you are the subject matter expert because of your educational background and work experience. Furthermore, you are surrounded by colleagues who also have years of study and experience under their belts. With such a wealth of real-world experiences from which you can draw, the question is not “What do I ask my class?”, but “What do I not ask my class?”

Below are some tips that provide guidance on how to develop an engaging discussion forum for your online course.

Writing a Discussion Question

Consider the following components of an effective discussion question.

Determine the Objective

Determine the Type of Question

For instance, Dr. Stanfield wants her students to discuss how learning the concept of compound interest impacts people’s retirement saving practices, but her discussion forum prompt says, “Define compound interest and explain how it works in retirement savings.” Because of how Dr. Stanfield phrased her question, most (if not all) of her students will focus on defining compound interest rather than discussing people’s retirement saving practices, thus not meeting her desired objective.

Therefore, it’s imperative that you determine the type of question you want to ask. Davis (1993) provides a helpful list of question types that you can use in discussion forums. The following types of questions are particularly useful in a discussion forum:

• Exploratory question : Ask students to state in their own words how to work a particular problem or to explain a particular concept or process. Exploratory questions allow you to gauge whether your students are grasping a particular week’s concepts.
• Challenge question : Ask students to reflect on an issue related to math (teaching methods, math anxiety, etc.) and to form an opinion on the issue. Challenge questions are best suited for issues that don’t have a clear-cut answer or where debate exists. With this type of question, you encourage students to think critically and to engage in constructive dialogue.
• Relational question : Ask students to relate a concept covered in class to a real-world scenario or to compare and contrast different procedures. Relational questions force students to see the connection between the subject of the course and real life.
• Diagnostic question : Present an incorrect solution to a problem, and then ask students to 1) analyze the problem, 2) identify the problematic step(s) to the solution, and 3) solve the problem with the correct steps. Diagnostic questions encourage students to apply critical-thinking skills to solve a problem and demonstrate their comprehension of a particular concept.
• Action question : Ask students to solve a given problem. The particular problem may be one that students can solve in more than one way. Students must then post their solutions to the problem before viewing other students’ solution. Action questions gauge students’ comprehension of a particular concept and their ability to problem solve.
• Summary question : Ask students to summarize—in their own words—the various concepts covered in a particular week. Summary questions force students to think through what they have learned and succinctly state main ideas.
• Other types of questions include cause-and-effect questions, extension questions, hypothetical questions, and priority questions.

Engage the Students

What is math anxiety? Define and explain.

Math anxiety is an excellent topic to engage with students; however, the way Professor Marsh presents the question is close-ended and vague. The question is close-ended in that students don’t have to write anything that can foster discussion among other students. Although various definitions of math anxiety exist, most definitions generally agree on certain fundamental characteristics. Thus, students’ responses will all be very similar. The question is also vague in how it asks students to explain math anxiety. What do they need to explain? The causes of math anxiety? The symptoms of math anxiety? Those whom math anxiety affects? Professor Marsh has chosen a topic ripe for discussion, but the way she presented it won’t encourage student engagement and interest.

Professor Marsh can strengthen her discussion forum by providing some observations she’s made about math anxiety while working as a high school teacher. Using her observations as a springboard, she can then set the topic of math anxiety in the context of an ongoing discussion among math educators about whether or not math anxiety is real.

After introducing the question, Professor Marsh needs to determine what type of question she wants to ask and then set forth her expectations for the students. In doing so, Professor Marsh reduces the need for students to guess what they must do to fulfill the assignment requirements. After tweaking her discussion question, Professor Marsh improved her discussion forum to give students better direction and encourage higher quality dialogue.

Certain words, when uttered before students, wield significant power. These words do not discriminate, striking fear in the hearts of even the most academically astute. Fail, essay exam, and research paper are such words. They pale in comparison, however, to the one word that induces nausea, cold sweat, and rapid heartbeat in students nationwide. What is that one word, mighty in clout and unyielding in power? Math. I have taught Algebra I at the high school and college levels for more than 14 years, and in my experience, I have found that most students have dealt with some level of fear when it comes to math, particularly algebra and higher. At the beginning of every new term, I ask a series of questions to gauge where my students are regarding math, including: Who of you tried to change your schedule when you saw that you had to take math? Who of you groaned or became upset when you saw math on your schedule? Who of you have put off math until you absolutely had to take it? It is safe to say that in almost every class I’ve taught, the majority of students raised their hands to one of these questions. But why? Why is there such animosity toward math? Math anxiety is a fairly common term in academic circles. In short, math anxiety is any form of anxiety that results from mathematics. The students who raise their hands to my questions all exhibit some form of math anxiety. In this discussion forum, I want you to discuss the following about math anxiety: • How do you define math anxiety? • What are some causes of math anxiety? • What are some tips for overcoming math anxiety? • In your opinion, is math anxiety real, or is it imagined? Support your answer. You are encouraged to reference a minimum of two sources to inform your work in this post. You must write in complete sentences, and your post must contain a minimum of 300 words. You also need to reply to at least two of your classmates’ responses; your replies should be substantive and contain a minimum of 150 words each.

Note how Professor Marsh’s discussion forum is specific and purposeful. She sets up the question with an introduction that hooks the students, provides her experience to set the context, and then asks two types of questions to engage the students (exploratory for the first three questions and a challenge question for the fourth). Professor Marsh then provides her expectations for the discussion forum.

Assess the Question

Regardless of when you assess your discussion question, be sure that there isn’t a significant gap between when you initially posted the discussion question and when you assess it. You want your objective and thought process to be relatively fresh in your mind as you assess the question.

When you’re ready to review your discussion question, look for the following:

• Yes–no answers : Do students’ answers tend to be yes- or no-type answers? If so, your question is more than likely close-ended; its wording doesn’t require students to elaborate on their answers. Rephrase the question so that students are forced to provide detailed answers.
• Purely factual answers : Are students’ answers very similar to each other? If so, the question is more than likely worded such that students are relaying an answer they found in the course lecture or reading. An illustration of such a question is in the example about math anxiety (“What is math anxiety? Define and explain.”).

Don’t assume that poor student responses are the result of poor attitudes or work ethic on the part of the students. Although this may be the case for a handful of students, the quality of student responses tends to reflect how well the discussion question is formulated. Your expectations for student involvement should be reflected in the quality of the discussion question.

Be Involved

A discussion forum is an excellent medium to share with students what you’ve learned from your own studies and experiences. You can also use a discussion forum to emphasize important concepts covered in a particular module or to elaborate on a topic that the course lecture or readings didn’t cover in depth. Rather than thinking of discussion forums as another assignment, view them as an opportunity to encourage reflection, spur discovery, and enhance learning.

Davis, B (1993). Tools for teaching . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

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Running a discussion board

How to ask questions that get students talking

Discussion boards allow students to take part in discussions online and on their own time. Discussion boards are flexible and can be used in blended (a mix of face-to-face and online learning), synchronous (everyone online at the same time), or asynchronous (everyone online at different times) courses.

There are a number of benefits to integrating a discussion board in your course:

• They are inherently democratic. In a classroom, there are typically several students who dominate the conversation. [1] But in a discussion board, everyone has to participate – the quiet person in the back of the class has to “speak” and because status on discussion boards tends to be muted [2] , as compared to face to face interactions in a classroom, the quiet person’s ideas can break through.
• They extend the classroom experience. Students who answer questions on a board are answering those questions outside of the classroom. Students learn that context can influence thinking and that the outside world is connected to what they learn in the classroom.
• They allow for a deeper exploration of topics. In a fast-moving classroom discussion, some ideas get more airtime than others. In a discussion board, with some facilitation on the part of the instructor, important ideas can be explored over time.
• They can give instructors insight into what students know and think, creating an opportunity for a richer in-class discussion.
• They allow instructors and students to create “social presence” (or the degree of salience of the other person in the interaction) in an online environment. Higher levels of presence are associated with increased levels of interactivity, student perception of learning, and student satisfaction. [3]

Despite all the potential benefits, discussion boards can be merely performative, with students posting only the required number of posts and doing so without making a contribution that advances the discussion. The average length of a thread in a discussion board is 2.2 – that’s a single answer and a single response. [4] While the discussion board is not inherently interactive, instructors can set the stage for interactivity relatively easily: by creating clear guidelines , asking good questions , and by moderating the discussion .

Creating clear guidelines

To promote collaborative dialogue, consider creating guidelines that explicitly tell students what kinds of responses and interactions you expect:

• Tell students that you are looking for timely, respectful responses that recognize and build on peer work. These rules of engagement need to be explicitly stated and may need to be reiterated during the course. If students disagree in a discussion, they need to do so respectfully and cite evidence for their argument.
• Tell students to seek out posts that have no response, to prevent clustering around popular posts.
• offer opinions or introduce an idea (known as idea generating posts)
• refer to previous posts and that build on ideas or agree or disagree, citing evidence (known as idea linking posts)
• that combine ideas (known as convergence posts) [5]
• Grade accordingly. If you give students explicit guidelines about the kinds of contributions they should make in the discussion board, grades should reflect their work.

Asking good questions

Questions on a discussion board should be clear, punchy, direct, and open-ended. Nothing shuts down a discussion faster than a question to which there is a simple “correct” answer. Instead, consider the following:

Ask icebreaker questions. Early interactions set the tone of the course and for later discussions. Studies show that students who are familiar with each other are more likely to contribute in class and on a discussion board. [6] Developing a sense of community, particularly in an online class in which verbal and non-verbal cues may be missing, is key. One way to help students get to know one another is an icebreaker question. Icebreakers in a discussion board can get students curious about peer answers and about the class.

• For instance, in an Astronomy course, before the course begins, you can ask students What is the most beautiful thing you've seen in the night sky? In class, you can display student answers. Their responses can be both a community-building exercise and can give you a chance to preview topics that will be covered.

Make it personal. If you are going to discuss an abstract or complicated topic, before that discussion, post a question that relates your topic to the student experience, giving students context and a way to connect course material and their experiences. Studies show that by communicating their experiences students are more likely to contribute substantively to follow up questions. [7]

• For instance, in a Literature course, you can ask: In your own words, explain the concept of the unreliable narrator. What recent book or short story have you read that featured an unreliable narrator?

Ask students to give each other advice. This is a question designed to help build a student community and is best suited for students sharing tips with each other about how to solve difficult problems or how to apply what they have learned. Advice giving questions can break the illusion of uniqueness ( I alone don’t understand this topic ) and can surface diverse expertise among the students. Asking for advice has the added benefit of helping the advisors as well as the advisees. Studies show that those who give advice benefit from the exercise. [8]

• For instance, you can ask students to Pose a question that continues to confound you or ask a question concerning a difficult concept that you would like to see explored in more detail. Once you have posted your answer, respond to at least two of your peers.

Ask polarizing questions. While it’s fine for students to agree, too much agreement quiets a discussion. When you ask a polarizing question in an online discussion forum, students who disagree with an earlier post are more likely to express that disagreement than in a face-to-face classroom environment. [9] These disagreements often include new information or evidence and can elicit more responses.

• For instance, in a Data Ethics course, you can ask: Google has just announced that it will release an election predictor that it claims can predict with 99 percent accuracy who is going to win the next election a year in advance. Why might it not work? If it does work, do you think they should release it?

Ask students to summarize the discussion . Students tend to read a few unread posts and answer those posts, thereby missing much of the ongoing conversation . [10] This siloing effect isolates students from taking part in the richer discussion and as a result, their contributions may veer off-topic. To break that dynamic, you can announce that at the end of each discussion, you will pick a number of students to summarize the entire discussion the next day . Summarizing a discussion prompts students to monitor the entire discussion board because they may need to quickly synthesize topics and ideas. Plus, comparing two or more summaries is a good exercise in learning how to acknowledge a variety of perspectives and contributions.

• For instance, you can post this question: In a paragraph or two, summarize the results of this discussion. In doing so, consider the trends among peer answers. For instance, you can look for popular answers or answers that garnered a lot of attention. You can also look for unusual or illuminating answers. What patterns can you spot? For reference, take a look at the way I’ve structured my online summary or consider how I generally wrap up a class discussion. Make sure to include specific examples of peer ideas or interactions in your summary.

Ask students to create memes. A discussion board full of images is a lively discussion board. When you ask students to create a meme of a class concept, students will need to consider the most important elements of the concept and how to represent that concept to their peers. The process of filtering out and recognizing the important elements of a concept is an exercise in retrieval practice; students will have to revisit previous topics. Memes have the added benefit of creating communities by signaling belonging [11] — members of the class community understand what their memes mean because they have developed a collective set of ideas.

• For instance, in a Psychology course, you might ask How do we decide who to trust? Or How do we decide how much something is worth? Create a meme that answers this question. In your meme, you should make clear the specific course concept(s) you are referencing.

Moderating the discussion

Good question design helps but to promote substantive responses and interactivity, you should pay attention to the tone of student responses, answer visibility, and instructor presence (or how often you are “seen”).

Some tips to keep in mind:

What came before will affect what happens next. Much like the traditional classroom, how students feel online has to do with the present and with the past. For instance, in a discussion forum, earlier messages may affect later messages and answers and replies in earlier forums may affect later forums. [12] Watch for any negative social cues and intervene if students are not being respectful. One redirect from you can affect the tone of an entire discussion and discussions to come.

Be aware of response visibility. In a discussion board, you can control when students can view peer responses. If you allow students to view the board before posting their own answers, students will read answers before they write their own and may lock onto or be influenced by peer responses. In some cases, this can be a benefit, but in others, you may want to have students do their thinking first and then interact with others.

Be aware of instructor presence . Instructor presence or the degree to which the instructor is “seen” by students in an online world requires that instructors actively and consistently communicate and share their expertise. [13] There is a lot of advice about how much guidance students require within a discussion board, but researchers agree that some degree of instructor presence is necessary. It’s important to let students know that you are watching them – students are more likely to post substantive responses if they know that you are aware of what they post. [14] To create presence, you can:

• Occasionally participate in the discussions board (but not so much that students post for you and not for each other) [15]
• Publicly reward a student for a contribution by noting it in the forum or mentioning it later in class
• Point out how one student’s response connects to another student’s response, in the forum or later in class
• Point out the differences between students responses, in the forum or later in class
• Use grades can be used to reinforce your goals

Howard, J. R. (2015). Discussion in the college classroom: Getting your students engaged and participating in person and online. John Wiley & Sons.

Swan, K., & Shea, P. (2005). The development of virtual learning communities. Learning together online: Research on asynchronous learning networks , 239-260

Hewitt, J. (2005). Toward an understanding of how threads die in asynchronous computer conferences. The journal of the learning sciences, 14(4), 567-589

Haavind, S. (2007). AN INTERPRETATIVE MODEL OF KEY HEURISTICS THAT PROMOTE COLLABORATIVE DIALOGUE AMONG ONLINE LEARNERS [1]. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks , 11 (3).

Swan, K., & Shea, P. (2005). The development of virtual learning communities. Learning together online: Research on asynchronous learning networks, 239-260

Dennen*, V. P. (2005). From message posting to learning dialogues: Factors affecting learner participation in asynchronous discussion. Distance Education, 26(1), 127-148.

Eskreis-Winkler, L., Milkman, K. L., Gromet, D. M., & Duckworth, A. L. (2019). A large-scale field experiment shows giving advice improves academic outcomes for the advisor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 116 (30), 14808-14810.

Chen, G., & Chiu, M. M. (2008). Online discussion processes: Effects of earlier messages’ evaluations, knowledge content, social cues and personal information on later messages. Computers & Education , 50 (3), 678-692

Hewitt, J. (2005). Toward an understanding of how threads die in asynchronous computer conferences. The journal of the learning sciences , 14 (4), 567-589

McCulloch, G. (2019). Because Internet: Understanding the new rules of language . Riverhead Books.

Baker, C. (2010). The impact of instructor immediacy and presence for online student affective learning, cognition, and motivation. Journal of Educators Online , 7 (1), n1.

Dennen*, V. P. (2005). From message posting to learning dialogues: Factors affecting learner participation in asynchronous discussion. Distance Education , 26 (1), 127-148.

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Writing a successful discussion board post

A discussion board is a “space” where students can further delve into classroom content. It can promote collaboration, and offer individuals room to explore topics, issues, and/or questions. The discussion board is an excellent tool for students who may feel more comfortable expressing their understanding of course content in a written format, as opposed to verbally.

Discussion boards can also be used to further employ the resources of the Internet by allowing students to include hyperlinks to relevant content. Since discussion boards are asynchronous, they offer an opportunity for conversation that again cannot be found within the classroom environment.

What makes a good discussion board topic?

The ideal discussion board topic should always facilitate learning opportunities. It should ideally

• Address the course content
• Reveal your own understanding of that content
• Promote peer interaction.

Tips for writing a good discussion thread

• The Three Part Post (Developed by Dr. Judith Boettcher, Executive Director of the Corporation for Research and Educational Networking)
• Part 1: State what your thought or recommendation might be. In other words, answer the question, “What do you think?”
• Part 2: State why you think what you think. Examine your own experiences, beliefs, or knowledge. It is also a good place to provide references, textual quotations, and/or links to materials that reinforce your opinion.
• Part 3: State what you wish you knew or directly solicit the opinion of classmates (in other words, ask a question!)

Example of a successful discussion thread

Discuss your thoughts on the current national preoccupation with reality TV shows. In what ways are they used to represent or reinforce gender, racial, or economic stereotypes?

Response from student 1:

Reality shows are certainly an ever-expanding phenomenon, yet—in my opinion—they often convey many harmful stereotypes that undermine whatever entertainment value they possess. The genre exploded in the new millennium with shows like Survivor and Big Brother, which chronicled the relationships and personalities of “real” people within a competitive context. In recent years, however, reality shows have increasingly focused on the day-to-day lives of “authentic” individuals. There is one show that I think particularly epitomizes the current dilemmas inherent in this latter type of reality programming: Jersey Shore.

Jersey Shore was initially developed by the MTV network in 2009. The most recent season features the exploits of eight so-called “guidos” and “guidettes”: Paul (“DJ Pauly D”), Ronnie, Nicole (“Snooki”), Mike (“The Situation”), Vinny, Jenny (“J-Wow”), Deena, and Sammi (“Sweetheart”). I initially began watching the show at the insistence of my roommate, and occasionally follow the exploits of the cast due to their constant presence in both gossip magazines and mainstream media sites. I—along with many critics of the show—find it problematic due to three main criteria: their representation of Italian-Americans from New Jersey, their portrayal of the lifestyle of young Americans, and the show’s depiction of gender stereotypes.

Adam K. Raymond of The New York Times Magazine notes that the show has particularly infuriated Italian-Americans; Richmond states that the president of UNICO, an Italian-American service organization, has asked MTV to cease production of Jersey Shore because “it perpetuates the stereotype of young Italian men as mindless drunk oafs with more hair gel than brain cells.”

Indeed, Jersey Shore frequently shows male cast members who engage in alcohol-induced debauchery, avoid “grenades” (unattractive females), and whose only other occupations are “GTL” (gym, tan, laundry). The show’s females are also subject to equally negative representation, in that they are all heavily tanned, wear provocative clothing, and are constantly on the prowl for the perfect “juice-head gorilla” (read: a young man who likely takes steroids to increase his bulk.) For the show’s fourth season, the cast relocated to Italy, where they spent several months partying, fighting, and generally perpetuating negative stereotypes of American youth. Although this show supposedly chronicles the experiences of “real” Italian- Americans from New Jersey, only two of the cast members (Sammi and Deena) are actually from New Jersey, and not all of the individuals are ethnically Italian. The show thus, in my opinion, is deliberately designed to accentuate these stereotypes.

My question is this: is there anything redeeming about Jersey Shore? Do you think that these types of reality shows (that follow the lives of “real” people in day-to-day settings) are more detrimental than competition realty shows like Survivor?

Response from student 2 to student 1’s post:

I agree that Jersey Shore, by and large, demonstrates many negative stereotypes. And yet, you cannot ignore its current cultural relevance. According to Rebecca Brown, an MTV blogger, several universities are using Jersey Shore as a platform for discussion.

For instance, a student at the University of Chicago intends to sponsor a conference on the show which will include topics such as “The construction, localization and performance of ethnicity, or I'm not white, I'm tan‟ “. Jersey Shore has the potential to be detrimental, if these stereotypes are perceived as fact. But, in my opinion, it is very obvious that the Jersey Shore cast members are characters, not “real” people.

Also—just to play the devil’s advocate—I think that several reality shows (even those of the “day to day” variety) have positive repercussions. Consider a show that airs on the TLC channel—”What Not to Wear.” This program is hosted by two individuals who provide makeovers to primarily women. Unlike Jersey Shore, these women are portrayed as real people, not as “one-dimensional” stereotypes. Although some of the individuals on the show are more receptive to makeovers than others, they are not relegated to simple labels of “hero” and “villain.” This show has both positive intentions and consequences. Again, I certainly admit that many programs do reinforce negative stereotypes, but it is difficult to classify all “reality shows” as representing these stereotypes universally.

Additional tips

• Strive to always bring up new, interesting comments. There is no point reiterating a remark that has already been made. You should always try to further the discussion—be provocative! Even if you have a similar opinion as the previous respondent, bring up an additional example or resource. The second poster in the above example includes many comments for the next student—or even the previous poster—to agree or disagree with.
• Good discussion threads should be substantial but concise: convey only the information that is most meaningful and accessible to your classmates. Make sure to always re-read your response! A good habit is to copy and paste your thread into a Word document prior to posing to check for errors in spelling and grammar.
• Don’t just state that you agree or disagree with the poster—make sure you offer an inventive reason why (avoid things like “You go girl, I totally agree!”) Always be professional and respectful to your classmates and avoid ad hominem attacks (criticism against the person, not his/her comments.)

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177 Questions to Inspire Writing, Discussion, Debate and Reflection

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2019-20 school year. A New York Times article, interactive feature or video is the jumping-off point for each question.

By The Learning Network

Each school day, we publish a new Student Opinion question. The questions explore everything from family, school and friendships to race, gender and social media. Not surprisingly, this past year, many of our Student Opinion prompts also touched on how the coronavirus pandemic affected nearly all aspects of our lives.

During the 2019-20 school year, we asked 177 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.

A New York Times article, interactive feature or video is the jumping-off point for each question, and students can view each linked Times article without a digital subscription.

These questions are used by some teachers as a way to spark class discussion and debate, while other teachers use them as an entry point for practicing narrative or persuasive writing. Our Student Opinion questions offer an authentic audience for student voices as well as a way to encourage students to engage with current events and peers from around the world.

We also have a free, on-demand webinar that offers other ideas on how to use our writing prompts in the classroom for everyday low-stakes writing practice across the curriculum.

Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

1. Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School? 2. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 3. Should College Be Free? 4. Where Should We Draw the Line Between Community Health and Safety and Individual Liberty and Privacy? 5. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 6. What Topics Do You Wish You Could Learn About in School? 7. Should Parents Track Their Children? 8. When Do You Become an Adult? 9. Is the Mona Lisa Bad for Art? 10. Would You Return a Lost Wallet? (What if It Had Lots of Money in It?) 11. Do You Believe Aliens Exist? 12. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 13. Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated? 14. Do Films Like ‘Joker’ Endorse (or Even Promote) Violence? 15. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other? 16. What Rules, if Any, Should There Be About Phone Use During Live Performances? 17. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 18. Should We Feel Guilty When We Travel? 19. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense? 20. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 21. Should Students Be Required to Take the SAT and ACT to Apply to College? 22. Should Your School Day Start Later? 23. Should Facebook Fact-Check Political Speech? 24. Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports? 25. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five? 26. Should Sports Journalism ‘Stick To Sports’? 27. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money? 28. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 29. Is Racial and Economic Diversity in Schools Important? 30. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 31. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 32. Are Comic-Book Movies Ruining Film? 33. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 34. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 35. What Suggestions Do You Have for Improving Lunch at Your School? 36. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 37. What Do You Think About Prince Harry and Meghan ‘Stepping Back’? 38. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 39. Should Public Transit Be Free? 40. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 41. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 42. Do the Grammy Awards Represent the Best in Music Today? 43. Do You Think the World Is Getting Closer to Securing the Promise of ‘Never Again’? 44. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use You Use Your Phone? 45. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures? 46. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 47. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 48. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 49. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 50. How Do You Decide What News to Believe, What to Question and What to Dismiss? 51. Should Plastic Bags Be Banned Everywhere? 52. Do You Think Online Conspiracy Theories Can Be Dangerous? 53. What Should #MeToo Mean for Teenage Boys? 54. Is It Immoral to Increase the Price of Goods During a Crisis? 55. Should Public Preschool Be a Right for All Children? 56. What Are Your Reactions to the Impeachment Inquiry of President Trump? 57. Is the Impeachment Inquiry a Teachable Moment? Or Should Politics Stay Out of the Classroom? 58. What Is Your Reaction to the Results of the Iowa Caucuses? 59. How Do You Think the Primaries and 2020 Presidential Election Should Proceed? 60. What Role Should Celebrities Have During the Coronavirus Crisis? 61. Should Schools Change How They Grade Students During the Pandemic? 62. Should We All Be Able to Vote by Mail? 63. Is It OK to Laugh During Dark Times? 64. When the Pandemic Ends, Will School Change Forever? 65. What Makes a Great Leader? 66. Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests? 67. Should National Service Be Required for All Young Americans?

Questions for Creative and Personal Writing

68. How Is What You Are Studying in School Relevant to Your Life and the Larger World? 69. How Much Racism Do You Face in Your Daily Life? 70. Do You Ever Laugh at the Misfortune of Others? 71. How Much Has Your ZIP Code Determined Your Opportunities? 72. What Weaknesses and Strengths About Our World Are Being Exposed By This Pandemic? 73. What Have You Learned About Yourself During This Lockdown? 74. What’s the Most Memorable Thing That Happened to You This Summer? 75. Does Your Life Ever Feel Too Busy? 76. How Do You Feel About Active-Shooter Drills in Schools? 77. When Have You Either Forgiven Someone or Been Forgiven Yourself? 78. How Do You Deal With Self-Doubt? 79. What Are Your Hometown’s Shortcomings? 80. Have You Ever Had a Significant Friendship End? 81. Are You Going to a Youth Climate Strike? 82. How Well Do Your Parents Deal With Sibling Conflicts? 83. How Similar Are Your Political Views to Those of Your Parents? 84. Have You Ever Read a Book You Weren’t Supposed to Read? 85. What Do You Eat for Dinner on a Typical Weeknight? 86. What’s Your Favorite Punctuation Mark? 87. Do You Get an Allowance? 88. Have You Ever Encountered Racist or Extremist Content Online? 89. What Do You Think of the Field of Democratic Presidential Candidates? 90. What Is Your Favorite Rivalry? 91. Who Do You Turn To in a Crisis? 92. Are You a Worrier? 93. What Grievances Do You Have With Your Local Community? 94. What’s Your Favorite Halloween Costume, Past or Present? 95. How Good Are You at Spending Time Alone? 96. What Could You Read, Listen to or Watch to Stretch Your Cultural Imagination? 97. Do You Read Reviews? 98. Do You Want to Get Married Someday? 99. Do You Seek Out New Experiences? Or Stick With the Things You Know and Love? 100. How Well Do You Read Other People? 101. What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You? 102. Do You Have Any Close Friends? 103. Have You Ever Tried to Make Money Online? 104. Do You Feel Safer When You Know You’re Being Watched? 105. What Are Your Experiences With Meditation? 106. How Will You Remember the 2010s? 107. Do You See Yourself in the Books You Read? 108. What Were the Best and Worst Things About 2019 for You? 109. Are You Good at Giving Gifts? 110. What Is Your Choice for Word of the Year? 111. How Have You Coped With the Death of an Idol? 112. Who Are the Ordinary Heroes of 2019? 113. What Are Your Predictions for the New Year and the New Decade? 114. What Era Do You Wish You Had Grown Up In? 115. Would You Want to Live and Breathe Creating Content for Social Media? 116. Do You Complain Too Much, Too Little or Just the Right Amount? 117. How Would You Rate Your Listening Skills and Those of the People Around You? 118. Would You Consider Serving in the U.S. Armed Forces? 119. Have You Ever Quit Something? 120. What Are You Doing to Change Your School? 121. What Does Kobe Bryant’s Death Mean to You? 122. Did You Watch the Super Bowl? What Did You Think? 123. How Have You Learned About Slavery? 124. Would You Ever Consider Becoming Vegetarian? 125. Do You Turn to Your Parents for Advice? 126. What Role Have Coaches Played in Your Life? 127. How Would You Design Your Ideal Museum? 128. Are You Able to Be Your Whole Self at School? 129. Do You Have More Good Habits Than Bad? 130. We Document Life’s Milestones. How Should We Document Death? 131. How Concerned Are You About the Coronavirus Outbreak? 132. Are You a Good Person? 133. Would You Allow an Ex-Prisoner to Live With You? 134. How Would Your Life Be Different if You Didn’t Have Wi-Fi and Cellular Service? 135. Stress, Worry and Anxiety Are All Different. How Do You Cope With Each? 136. Is the Diversity of Your School Accurately Reflected in Its Promotional Materials? 137. What Is Your Reaction to the Latest News About the Coronavirus Outbreak? 138. What Role Does Poetry Play in Your Life? 139. How Can We Help One Another During the Coronavirus Outbreak? 140. What Songs Matter to You Now? 141. How Is the Coronavirus Outbreak Affecting Your Life? 142. What Are You Reading, Watching, Listening To, Playing and Cooking? A Place for Recommendations 143. How Are You Staying Healthy and Fit? 144. What Questions Do You Have About the Coronavirus? 145. Has Your School Switched to Remote Learning? How Is It Going So Far? 146. How Do Animals Provide Comfort in Your Life? 147. Is the Coronavirus Pandemic Bringing Your Extended Family Closer Together? 148. What Are Some Ways to “Travel” Without Traveling During the Pandemic? 149 Holidays and Birthdays Are Moments to Come Together. How Are You Adapting During the Pandemic? 150. How Has the Coronavirus Changed How You Use the Internet? 151. How Are You Getting Your Sports Watching Fix? 152. What Acts of Kindness Have You Heard About or Participated In During Coronavirus? 153. When Has Starting Over Worked for You? 154. Is Your Family Experiencing Greater Conflict During a Time of Self-Quarantine? 155. How Are You Feeling About Missing Prom? 156. How Can You Tell a Story About Your Life Right Now Through a Few Simple Numbers? 157. What Does Your Accent Say About Who You Are? 158. How Do You Greet Your Friends and Family? 159. What Are Your Favorite Games? 160. What Do You Miss Most About Your Life Before the Pandemic? 161. What Are Your Hopes for Summer 2020? What Are Your Worries? 162. How Do You Connect With Your Parents? 163. Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist? 164. What Do the Objects in Your Home Say About You? 165. What’s the First Thing You Plan to Do After Quarantine? 166. Do You Enjoy Going On a Walk — Especially Now? 167. What’s the Best Book You Ever Read for School? 168. What’s the Craziest Thing You Did as a Kid? 169. How Is Your Family Dividing Responsibilities During the Quarantine 170. How Has Social Distancing Changed Dating for Teenagers? 171. Do You Believe in Ghosts? 172. What Issues in the 2020 Presidential Race Are Most Important to You? 173. Do You Prefer to Dwell in the Past, Live in the Present or Dream of the Future? 174. Does the Future of Robots Get You Excited, or Fill You With Dread? 175. How Do You Practice Self-Care? 176. How Will We Remember the Coronavirus Pandemic? 177. What Is Your Reaction to the Days of Protest That Have Followed the Death of George Floyd?

Want more writing prompts?

You can find even more Student Opinion questions in our 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing and 130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing . We also publish daily Picture Prompts , which are image-centered posts that provide space for many different kinds of writing. You can find all of our writing prompts, added as they publish, here .

University Center for Teaching and Learning

Designing discussion questions using bloom’s taxonomy: examples*, designing discussion questions using bloom’s taxonomy: examples*.

To challenge your class to address a topic at a higher level of abstraction, use questions that are developmental in nature with multiple levels of thinking. These types of questions promote critical thinking and help students to work collaboratively. Bloom’s Taxonomy, described below, presents five levels of questioning from lowest to highest levels of abstraction; however, sequential use of these levels is not a requisite. For example, to elicit students’ ideas, the discussion may begin with questions of evaluation and progress to alternative levels of questions depending on the issues and ideas that emerge. As you prepare to lead discussions, you may want to have a repertoire of questions that use the five levels of thinking that follow:

• Knowledge , identification, and recall. Does the student know the information?

Sample questions:

What did the policy propose? Who supported the policy?

When was the bill passed?

What events influenced the passage of the bill?

Identify … Define … List … Name … Label … State … Identify … Match … Recognize … Recall …

• Understanding and comprehension. Does the student understand?

In your own words define aging-in-place.

Summarize why older adults prefer to live in their own homes. What does it mean …?

Contrast … How do you know …? Interpret … Paraphrase … Explain … Restate … Infer

• Application . Can the student use previously learned information in a new situation?

Describe how a prospective payment plan would work in this case. How might nursing homes been viewed in the 1800s?

Where else might this apply? Explain how one might use …

Use … Compute … demonstrate … apply … construct … Hypothesize … Demonstrate … Sequence … Organize … Predict

• Analysis and Synthesis . Can the student dissect and reassemble the idea or issue? Can the student view the issue from a different perspective? Can the student examine the available facts and offer alternative interpretations and solutions?

What caused the aging political lobby to respond this way? Why might Medicaid encourage the use of skilled nursing?

How could the incentives be realigned to support in-home care? What are the important elements to each party’s interest?

How are these programs interrelated?

Compare … Contrast … Diagram … Map … Adapt … Compile … Design … Categorize … Reconstruct … Integrate …

• Evaluation . Can the student assess, form opinions, establish appropriate standards and criteria, evaluate ethical dilemmas, and critically examine an issue or idea?

Which method, procedure, or solution is better? Can you evaluate this idea in terms of …?

Which approach would you choose? Why?

Judge … select … rate … critique … justify … recommend … persuade … support … assess … prioritize … verify

* Michael D. Peck, Ph.D., San José State University, [email protected] . Adapted from Bloom, B. S. et al. (1965). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay, and handout from Center for Instructional Development and Research at the University of Washington, Seattle.

More Examples of Questions for Facilitating Class Discussions

The following questions represent diverse levels of thinking. Consider how you can adapt some to align with your learning objectives. (These are not organized by level of learning.)

• What hypothesis would you make?
• How would you solve the problem?
• What inference would you make?
• What would happen if _____?
• What is the most significant part of _____?
• How would you go about finding _____?
• What are the two main factors influencing _____?
• What were the events that led to _____?
• What are two signs of _____?
• What are the criteria for _____?
• What is the process for _____?
• Which of the following are true?
• How effective was the method of research in _____?
• How would you collect better data?
• What possibilities are there for further investigation?
• How did this case or problem contribute to your understanding of _____?

Categories of questions:

• Factual (What is the definition of ? What is the name of _____? Who … what … when … where …?)
• Exploratory (“What research evidence supports the theory of … ”)
• Linking/Extension (“How does relate to _____?” Is there a connection between what you’ve just said and what Jane said a minute ago? How does your observation [relate to …challenge or support … add to ….”])
• Hypothetical (What might have happened if _____”
• Cause/Effect “What effect might _____ have on _____?”
• Challenge (“How else might we account for …?”)
• Relational (Compare _____ with _____)
• Diagnostic (“Why …”)
• Action (“What should we do?”)
• Combination Questions (How would you relate your points to those mentioned by Student A or to something else you said? How would you understand X in light of Y?
• Priority Questions : Which issues do you consider most important? Where do you start? How would you rank these?
• Action Questions: What would you do in Person X’s shoes? How?
• Prediction Questions: What do you think would happen if we followed Student Z’s action plan? Give us a forecast of your How will he/she react to your thinking?
• Generalizing and Summarizing Questions: What inferences can we make from this discussion and case? What generalizations would you make? How would you summarize the three most critical issues that we have discussed? Can you summarize the high points of the discussion thus far?

Probing Questions:

• Probe for more evidence or info – “How do you know that? What data is that claim based on? What does the author say that supports your argument? What evidence would you give to someone who doubts?”
• Probe for clarification ( “Are you saying that …?” “Could you give me an example?” “Can you put that another way? What’s a good example of what you are talking about? What do you mean by that? Can you explain the term you just used?”
• Probe assumptions: “What are you assuming here?” “What could we assume instead?” “Is this always the case?” “Why do you think the assumption holds here?”
• Probe reasons, evidence and causes: “What are your reasons for saying that?” “What other information do we need to know?” “Is there good evidence for believing that?” “What do you think the cause is?”
• Probe implications and “When you say , are you implying that _____?” “If you do that, what will happen?” “How is that connected to the question?” “How does that bear on _____?” “How does that follow?”
• Probe thought processes: “Could you explain further where you’re having difficulties?” “Could you express that point in another way?” “Could you be more specific?” “Have you thought of …?” “What factors make this a difficult problem?” “What would this look like from the point of view of _____?”
• Ask a question with multiple possible answers. Write all options on the board without commenting on the list being produced. Then have the class discuss the options, explaining why some answers are better than others.

Writing Center Discussion Board Posts: Discussion Board Posts

Discussion board posts.

In this section, you'll find resources on writing Discussion Board Posts.

Writing a Discussion Board Post

Types of discussion posts:.

• Introduction Introductory discussions are designed to help you and your classmates get to know each other better. You should include information about your personal and professional background, as well as your goals for the course.
• Debate Debate discussions include a statement based on the week’s module content that offers an opportunity to discuss opposing views, opinions, and research on a topic. You should choose a firm stance and include support for your viewpoint.
• Experiential Experiential discussion posts pull from your personal or known experiences. Think about how you can relate the prompt to your own life, and explain your perspective in this way.
• Current Events This type of discussion asks you to relate the prompt to current events in society or your specific field. Consider how the course content is connected to events that have been reported in the media within the past 12 months.
• Flipped Discussions When you are assigned a flipped discussion, you are expected to create a discussion board prompt for others to respond to. Pose a question of prompt that is related to the course content and encourages your classmates to dig deeper in a specific area.
• Portfolio Milestones Portfolio milestone discussion posts provide an opportunity for you to propose a topic and get feedback from your classmates and professor. You should state the topic(s) you are thinking about, as well as provide some context and information about the direction of your research.
• Reflection Reflective discussion posts ask students to reflect on what they have learned so far in the course. You should consider how the course content relates to your personal learning experience. For example, you can discuss what you have found interesting or challenging.
• Situational/Case Prompt Situational or case prompts provide a scenario that you will respond to. Based on what you have learned so far, discuss how you would respond to the prompted situation. Provide support and context for your perspective.

Keep the following tips in mind when constructing posts for Discussion Boards:

• When posting responses and engaging with your classmates, ask questions that expand and continue the conversation. Dig deeper into the topic and ideas to gain further understanding and insight into the thoughts and perspectives of others.
• You are expected to express your own thoughts and analysis regarding the topic or discussion question/prompt. If you choose to use information from outside sources, you should include both in-text citations and a references list.
• Be sure to check the discussion rubric to ensure you are meeting expectations.

If you have questions about the type of discussion post or specifics about your assignment, please consult your instructor.

Sample Discussion Board with Sources

Sample discussion board no sources.

These sample posts will help you get started with your assignment. Note that one sample is designed to be more research-focused and includes citations, while the other demonstrates a more casual style discussion post forum. Please refer to whichever is most appropriate for your assignment.

• Last Updated: Jun 19, 2023 6:07 PM
• URL: https://csuglobal.libguides.com/discussion_board_posts

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4 Intro to Business Discussion Questions to Engage Students

Article Summary

• Students in Introduction to Business classes are sometimes reluctant to participate in class discussion.
• Asking students about relevant topics in the news helps to spark conversation.
• Connecting discussions to the news also helps students apply course material to the world around them.

Marcella Kelly is a Business Professor at Santa Monica College and Cengage author

Now more than ever, finding engaging Introduction to Business discussion questions can feel trying. After two years of a global pandemic, many of us have noticed that students seem reluctant to participate in discussions. This has led to awkward dead air in classrooms and empty space on discussion boards – and doesn’t work for anyone!

This article offers a handful of discussion topics that are pulled from the recent news, connected to Introduction to Business class content , and proven to grab student interest and spark lively discussion. Use these strategies in your virtual and face-to-face classroom or copy and paste them onto your online discussion boards .

Business Discussion Question 1: Who’s Your Daddy?

Apparently, it’s not the CEO of e-commerce giant, Shopify, Tobias Lutke.

Lutke clarified in a companywide email in Spring 2021 that “It should be massively obvious that Shopify is not a family, but I see people, even leaders, casually use terms like ‘Shopifam’ which will cause the members of our teams (especially junior ones that have never worked anywhere else) to get the wrong impression.” He pointed out that “The very idea is preposterous. You are born into a family. You never choose it, and they can’t un-family you.”

He preferred the analogy to a competitive team, where great performers can be recruited, and poor performers can be fired. Despite the harsh rhetoric, Shopify has a record of excellent performance and a reputation as a great place to work .

Discussion Questions:

• How would you feel if you got an email from the CEO of your company like the email from Tobias Lutke?
• Do you think it’s appropriate to compare a workplace to a family or a competitive sports team? Why or why not?

Business Discussion Question 2: The Boss Behaving Badly

About twenty years ago, many analysts assumed that companies had hit a new low for firing employees by giving them the axe via text message: “U R FIRED.” But In 2021, Better Mortgage CEO Vishal Garg set the bar even lower by firing about 15% of the mortgage company’s workforce via Zoom just before the holidays.

“If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off,” Garg said on the call, a recording of which was viewed by CNN Business . Garg also accused the employees of “stealing” from their colleagues and customers by being unproductive and only working two hours a day. Garg then reflected on how difficult the firings were for himself, saying “This is the second time in my career I’m doing this, and I do not want to do this. The last time I did it, I cried.”

This wasn’t the first time the CEO demonstrated a scorched-earth management style. Ten years ago, he sent a memo to his team , reading “HELLO – WAKE UP BETTER TEAM! You are TOO DAMN SLOW. You are a bunch of DUMB DOLPHINS and…DUMB DOLPHINS get caught in nets and eaten by sharks. SO, STOP IT. STOP IT. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME.”  Despite negative publicity from his management style, Garg has attracted massive infusions of capital for his mortgage firm.

• Is it ethical to fire employees via Zoom? Why or why not?
• How do you think Garg’s management style will affect the firm in the short term? What about the long term?
• Do entrepreneurial skill and difficult personalities often go hand in hand? Why or why not? Please cite examples.

Business Discussion Question 3: Calendar Magic

As the post-pandemic economy kicks back up, burnout looms large . According to Google Vice-President for Southeast Asia Stephanie Davis , who powers through 40 hours of meetings per week, five little pieces of “calendar magic” can battle burnout effectively:

• Eliminate unnecessary meetings. Only keep meetings that lead to purpose and priorities.
• Group similar tasks together. One example would be only doing emails in the morning or the evening.
• Schedule time for meeting prep and follow-up. By including that time on the calendar, meetings won’t throw off your schedule.
• Shake up the meeting format. Can the meeting happen as a walk? As a phone call? Face-to-face? Over Skype?
• Schedule self-care breaks. Think of what helps you relax. Is it a quick stroll? A cup of tea? Ten minutes of yoga? Whatever it is, schedule it in to make sure it happens.
• What do you do to avoid burnout?
• Which of these five tips would be most effective? Why?

Business Discussion Question 4: #ChickenWar

In 2019, the fast-food chain Popeyes announced that they planned to become the “ iPhone of chicken sandwiches ” when they introduced their own version of the fried favorite. They took to Twitter to declare a “#chickenwar” on competitor Chick-fil-A. It created so much buzz that Popeyes sold out of their chicken sandwiches on day one in all 3,000 locations nationwide. The New Yorker Magazine even declared that “ the Popeyes chicken sandwich is here to save America .”

In mid-summer 2021, Popeyes called for a ceasefire by introducing chicken nuggets, made with the same batter as their fried chicken sandwich. According to their Chief Marketing Officer Bruno Cardinali , “Now, it’s time to say goodbye to the chicken wars and celebrate our new Nuggets, because we come in piece, 8 pieces to be exact.”

• Which is your favorite fried chicken sandwich?
• Where else (other industries) could this aggressively competitive marketing strategy be effective? Why?

Tools for Teaching Introduction to Business

As students re-enter classrooms, whether in person or on Zoom, these prompts can help instructors engage their classes in discussions about how business concepts apply to the world around them. For more ideas on teaching Introduction to Business with current examples of key business concepts, check out BUSN,   12th Edition and its online resources in MindTap .

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Writing Engaging Discussion Questions

157 7 Writing Engaging Discussion Questions Discussion boards are the equivalent of classroom discussions (Dereshiwsky, 2015), but afford additional opportunities for both formative and summative assessments as well as direct teaching. Possibly their best advantage over classroom discussion is that discussion boards eliminate the psychosocial aspects that favor articulate students who can think fast on their feet and disfavor those who are more reflective. Another drawback of classroom discussions is that not all students can voice their opinions for various reasons—they are shy or unprepared or prefer to reflect before stating their views. Or they disagree with what has been presented, yet are reticent to speak up. Some simply have nothing to add. Thus, classroom discussions often reflect somewhat of a groupthink . In the online environment, a certain anonymity prevails. The visual and aural cues of smiles, eye rolling, chuckling, or sighing in response to a comment or opinion expressed are absent. Brookfield and Preskill (2005) note that students more readily share their own carefully thought-out perspective in online discussions even if they reflect an opposing view, which often makes for an interesting and engaging discussion. In addition, online discussions allow students the time to reflect upon the question, which is beneficial as participation is required and points are at stake. This opportunity to reflect fosters less pressure to conform to the groupthink, resulting in individual intellectual development and a wider range of perspectives to be considered for coconstruction of knowledge. In this chapter, we discuss the value of online small group discussions and how to develop engaging discussion questions (DQs). This chapter walks you through the process of designing engaging DQs from an outcome-based approach. Examples of DQs are provided to give you an idea of what is possible. 158 ANATOMY OF A DQ Given the variety of content in online RN to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and graduate nursing courses, writing a step-by-step process for faculty to follow when creating DQs that is specific enough to be useful seems to be without precedent. However, several concepts, models, theories, and sound suggestions from scholars can guide us, notably the recommendations from Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, and Day (1984/2010) to situate what we want students to learn within a context similar to how they will encounter that content in the role they aspire to. In addition, research on and decades of experience with problem-based learning (PBL) and identified characteristics of engaging DQs are also useful. Content: Characteristics of Authentic Problems The work of Barrows and Kelson (1996) on creating authentic cases for PBL can inform the creation of engaging DQs as well.       1.    Format : Ill structured and messy       2.    Initial information : Inadequate information is provided initially to solve the problem. Additional discourse and research are needed.       3.    Educational resources : Students must engage in independent research and evaluate the reliability and value of resources they use. To their list, I would add the following characteristics of authentic problems . DQs should:       •    Evoke emotions : Recent research on memory and emotion indicates that we remember what we care about (Nairne, 2010, as cited in Miller, 2014). Starting a discussion with a video of the patient or situation involved in the problem or issue can serve to involve the area of the brain, the amygdala, where emotions arise. The more real the topic, the more involved students will become, and the more they will learn.       •    Be challenging : DQs should be written at such a level that students will not become frustrated in composing an answer. They should be written slightly above the student’s capability, but within their zone of proximal development (see Chapter 2 ). The challenge occurs naturally when they cannot paraphrase directly from the readings, but instead must analyze, synthesize, or evaluate what they have read in order to apply the information to the issue at hand.       •    Promote and require active learning: Increasing student engagement is, in my experience, related to how relevant students feel the exercise is 159 to their future role. Perceived relevance results in students taking a more active role in their learning.       •    Promote higher order cognitive processing: Having high expectations of students is important, as they will rise to meet these expectations. Students who will be taking online courses are already nurses who have a professional goal. I do believe they want to be challenged, but in a supportive environment where feedback helps them learn.       •    Not have one correct answer: Some answers will be better than others, but students should not be able to open their text and find the answer. Fact-based questions increase cognitive load as students struggle to find something new that a classmate has not already said. This is not conducive to learning.       •    Be clearly worded: If students cannot understand what is being asked or if the intent of the question is unclear, students will struggle with their response, become frustrated, and lose engagement with the problem. Ross (1997) offers recommendations for problem selection based on experience using problems to teach. From his perspective, the problem can be selected:       •    To ensure that students cover a predefined area of knowledge       •    To help students learn a set of important concepts, ideas, techniques       •    For its suitability for leading students to (parts of) the “field”       •    For its intrinsic interest or importance       •    Because it represents a typical problem faced by the profession ( pp. 30–31 ) Note that in the first bullet point the pesky word cover surfaces again. I would prefer to replace the word cover with uncover, which, according to Wiggins and McTighe (2005), “suggests finding something important in what had become hidden” ( p. 230 ). That is truly what we want students to do. We want them to recall what they already know, think of themselves as detectives, and search out the relevant information needed to answer the questions posed. These recommendations align with the call for transformation of nursing education that you will recall include learning within context, integration of knowing and doing, and using the thought processes necessary for the role. When talking about online discussions, Brookfield and Preskill wrote (2005): Discussion is not particularly effective for disclosing new facts or for arguing over something that can be checked out by consulting an almanac or dictionary. Discussion is ideal, however, for exploring complex ideas and 160 entertaining multiple perspectives. It is almost never suitable for reaching definitive solutions or putting forward a single, indisputable answer. ( p. 236 ) When writing DQs, as faculty we know what it is we want students to learn from a question. We could tell them in a lecture what they need to learn . However, research (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999) has shown that lecturing supports surface learning ( Chapter 1 ) that is quickly forgotten because information is presented without context. Our goal is to present an authentic problem or issue embedded within a context that students will recognize in order to uncover the essence of what is to be learned. We want to support development of “habits of thought” that will serve them throughout their careers. Content Considerations A word of caution is in order when beginning to consider content for your course. The process of DQ development for nonclinical courses requires a specific focus due to the breadth of content available that can seemingly push faculty toward teaching habits that are undesirable from a constructivist, learner-centered perspective. What I am referring to is the idea faculty sometimes have that they must teach everything there is to know about a topic in one course. This is counterproductive. Recall from the work of Wiggins and McTighe (2005) that coverage is not the best approach, and is in fact considered one of the “twin sins” of instructional design. As faculty, we must face reality and understand that if our students are to learn anything, not everything about the topic can be taught (Locher, 2004). Bransford et al. (1999) explained this phenomenon: “curricula that emphasize breadth of knowledge may prevent effective organization of knowledge because there is not enough time to learn anything in depth” ( p. 49 ). Sacrificing breadth of content so that students learn the essential content in a deep, as opposed to surface, manner (see Chapter 1 ) and learn for understanding (see Chapter 3 ) is the best approach. So, the key is to determine what content is essential for students to learn ( must know ) because it will be put to use in their future role. Separate that from content that is simply nice to know and content that, if taught, will quickly be forgotten as students will most likely not use it. So, the question is, What knowledge is essential for students to function effectively in their future role that must be learned from this course? Remember your new mantra: outcomes . Thoughts on Context From Benner and colleagues (1984/2010) comes the challenge to transform nursing education, which includes learning within an authentic context, 161 integration of clinical and classroom teaching, and formation within the role that should be at the foundation of our approach to question development and teaching in general. DQs should be grounded in a context that reflects the professional role and affords practice in thinking like a professional nurse, nurse practitioner (NP), researcher, administrator, or educator. Tanner (2009) refers to this practice as developing habits of thought, which means “critically evaluating the evidence supporting alternative choices, reflecting on one’s reasoning processes and self-correcting, understanding patient’s experiences, identifying salient aspects of a situation, making clinical judgments in specific situations, and modifying one’s approach in light of the patient’s responses” ( p. 299 ). Although this quote is obviously written from a clinical context, the type of thinking or habits of thought can be applied to nonclinical nursing roles as well. From my experience, students, even with nursing experience, too readily take new information and data at face value without question or an attempt to seek validation. These habits of thought Tanner refers to are best developed through guided problem-solving practice in a safe environment where students not only have feedback, coaching, and support from faculty, but also the opportunity to observe experienced faculty (and more experienced classmates) model the expert’s thought processes, which is akin to the experience of cognitive apprenticeship (Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1984); also see Chapter 2 ). The Role of Context Must all DQs include context? What is wrong with simply asking a question? Questions asked out of context may leave the student wondering, Why should I care about this? So what? Remember the tenets of andragogy that adults are independent learners who have accumulated rich life experiences who prefer to apply what they are learning to their changing social role (i.e., a new career) (Merriam, 2001). In addition, context helps add additional cues for retrieval. Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel (2014) made the point that: How readily you can recall knowledge from your internal archives is determined by context, by recent use, and by the number and vividness of cues that you have linked to the knowledge and can call on to help bring it forth. ( p. 76 ) Because there is a mismatch between the vast amounts of data our brains can store compared to the finite ability to cue the memories, it makes sense to help provide a context whenever possible to help students retrieve the content when it is needed in their new roles. Keep in mind that most, if not all, questions aimed to satisfy learning outcomes could be presented within context, even questions on statistics, statistical methods, and concepts related 162 to research. What is required is a bit of imagination and creativity. Asking yourself, Why does the student need to know this? , may help uncover an appropriate context. FOCUSING ON OUTCOMES From the Backward Design process, I hope your new mantra is outcomes and that the question you ask yourselves when planning instruction is: What are the desired learning outcomes? This is the place to begin when writing DQs. A look at the objectives for the course is the best place to start, paying particular attention to the domain and level of verb used. If the objectives are broadly written, they may not provide enough information to drill down to the actual DQs. A task analysis of the objective as discussed in Chapter 8 may help you understand the particular knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students must learn in your course. The steps of a task analysis used to determine the knowledge and skills necessary to meet an objective are listed in Box 7.1 . Perhaps an example will help. In the Online Methodologies course I taught, one of the content areas was facilitating online discussions. Students read about the theory and strategies of facilitation, but my goal was for each of them to actually facilitate a discussion. The objective for the course related to this content was: At the end of the course, students will be able to successfully demonstrate effective facilitation strategies. This objective is written in the cognitive domain, application level. One of my perspectives on teaching is that I want to combine knowing and doing whenever possible in order to make the content become real for the student.   BOX 7.1 STEPS OF A TASK ANALYSIS OF AN OBJECTIVE 1.    Determine the domain of the objective (cognitive, psychomotor, or affective). 2.    Determine the level of performance desired (measurable verb in the objective). 3.    Make a list of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (abilities) necessary to meet the objective. Questions to help with this step are:       a.    How will this content reveal itself to solve problems?       b.    What are common problems students might later encounter that are related to this content?       c.    What is the context in which these problems might occur?       d.    What prerequisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes should be brought to mind to help them build mental models? 4.    Identify an authentic problem and situation (context) that would require the application of the identified abilities.   163 To assess this objective, I planned to have each student facilitate one discussion in the course. I set up a discussion board for the leaders of each discussion—one from each group—to work on and to ultimately write the DQ that all groups would tackle for their assigned module. I lurked in the background of these decision-making discussions and provided guidance when necessary. What I wanted students to experience when they facilitated a discussion was keeping the discussion going, using various facilitative techniques to support learning, such as providing encouragement, requesting clarification, Socratic questioning, metacognitive questioning, and so on (all included in Chapter 11 ). Thus, the actual question they created was about the topic for the module. For this example, I will use the topic of teaching with cases. The objective: At the end of the course, students will be able to successfully demonstrate effective facilitation strategies.       •    Domain: Cognitive       •    Level of performance: Application       •    Knowledge, skills, and attitudes              Content knowledge of the topic at hand, teaching with cases, and knowledge of facilitation strategies.              The skill of successfully using these strategies (being able to apply them) by choosing the right words to promote participation and move the discussion forward.              To portray a supportive attitude for their “learners.”              To recognize what is occurring in the discussion and in each student’s posts such as nonsubstantive posts, superficial response to classmates that reiterates rather than continues the discourse, or a series of monologues and not really a discussion and deal with them.       •    Authentic problem: Having students lead a discussion of their peers on the authentic of teaching with cases.

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• Presence in an Online Course
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Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

Toefl writing for an academic discussion questions – samples and guide and templates, sample questions and answers.

These “Writing for an Academic Discussion” questions were added to the TOEFL iBT on July 26, 2023.  They replaced the “Independent Writing Task.”  Each link below includes a complete sample question and response.  These questions are based on the information we have at this time.  I will revise them as more information is provided.  I also have a guide to answering this question .

Basically, test-takers see a question written by a professor and responses by two students.  The test-taker should respond to the question and add to the conversation.  They have ten minutes to read the question, read the responses  and write their own responses.

• Economic Growth vs the Environment
• Targeted Advertising
• Social Media
• Grading Students
• Taxing Unhealthy Products
• University Spending
• City Spending
• Corporate Impact
• Work From Home
• Online Classes
• Smartphones
• Learning Styles
• Influencers
• Starting a Business
• More sample questions from ETS

Need help preparing for the new TOEFL?  Check out my writing evaluation service .  I’ll examine your answers line by line and correct all of your mistakes.  I’ll even estimate your score and tell you how to do better on test day!  Looking for 1 on 1 lessons?  Send me a message !

Question Guide

I’ve written a detailed guide for this question .  I will update it as we learn more.

Answer Template 1

• This is a challenging topic, but I think that [respond directly to the question].
• I strongly agree with  [student]’ s idea that  [mention one point made by the student]. 
• I’d add that  [expand on the point with your own idea].
• While [other student] raised the relevant point that [mention one point made by the other student],  he/she didn’t mention that  [challenge that point].
• For example  [elaborate on your challenge with your own ideas].

Answer Template 2

• While I appreciate the points mentioned by both [name] and [name] , I think that …
• [elaborate on your idea for a few sentences]
• Remember that  [elaborate on your point], so [elaborate on your point].
• Some people may feel that [mention a potential challenge], but [respond to this challenge].

Video Guide

Free Discussion Board Response Generator

• ⚙️ How to Use the Tool?

📝 What Is a Discussion Post?

📑 discussion post structure, 💬 how to respond to a discussion post.

• 🖋 How to Cite It in APA?

📋 Discussion Board Reply Examples

🔗 references, ⚙️ discussion board reply generator – how to use it.

Our free discussion board response generator is user-friendly and straightforward. Just follow the steps indicated below:

First, choose if you want to generate a discussion board post or a reply to your classmate’s post.

If you want to get a post:

• Add the question from your teacher; it should be 5 to 100 words long.
• Specify if you need to mention the class readings in your post.
• Insert the readings into the text box if you have them; note that they shouldn’t exceed 2,000 words. Consider using the free summarizing tool if your readings are longer.
• Choose if you want a follow-up question at the end of the post.

If you want to get a reply:

• Paste your classmate’s discussion post in the provided tab. It may be anywhere from 50 to 500 words long.
• Indicate in the next section whether you agree or disagree with your classmate’s content. If you don’t tick any option, the default variant will be “agree.”
• Click on “Advanced Settings” and indicate specific issues you agree or disagree with.
• Get the result in several seconds by clicking on the “Generate” tab.

As you can see, things work pretty simply with our discussion board reply generator. You just need to do a couple of actions, and the tool will prepare a well-organized response in line with your classmate’s discussion board content.

A discussion post is quite a short text published on a student discussion board.

Discussion posts are often used in any learning course because:

• They allow the professor to check whether you understand the materials correctly.
• They are a vital barometer of the student’s participation in the class.
• They don’t take too much time or space and can’t be treated as regular essays.

Though easier to write than ordinary essays, discussion board posts still have to comply with the standards of coherent and informative academic writing.

A typical discussion post should have a central argument or idea you’re looking at, and it should also offer concrete evidence (sometimes with sources) to substantiate that point.

Now, let’s talk about the generic structure a discussion post should follow.

The rule of thumb is to have 3 main elements in this piece of writing:

• An answer to the professor’s original question
• Supporting evidence for that answer
• A final interpretation of how your evidence links to the question

How to end a discussion post?

This question often troubles students, as they usually need to formulate a thought-provoking question that would fuel further discussion of their raised topic. It’s not always required, but you can still encapsulate a rhetorical question or suggestion for further discussion in the concluding sentences of your discussion post.

If you’re new to discussion post responses, here are some simple steps to guide you through the process.

Here are the steps necessary to reply to a discussion board post:

Discussion board responses can differ in depth, revealing variations in topic mastery and academic proficiency.

Thus, if you want to impress the professor and create a deeper learning experience for your group, you may apply the following life hacks:

• Provide additional data to enrich the classmates’ understanding of the topic.
• Give an insightful commentary on the classmate’s approach and fuel a further discussion with an open-ended question.
• Evaluate the discussion post’s relevance or methodological rigor (if the latter applies to your subject). Talk about the relevance of the chosen specific issue within a broader topic and the quality of chosen supporting evidence.

🖋 How to Cite a Discussion Post in APA?

Citing a discussion post in the APA style follows basically the same approach as citing any other digital resource would:

• First, you should indicate the author’s name and the date of the post’s publication.
• Next comes the name of the discussion thread (the professor usually formulates it).
• Finally, you are expected to mention the resource where it is published (your university course’s directory).

Here is an example of the APA citation’s format:

James, K. (2022, Sep. 12). Re: Ethics of international business [Discussion post.] Walden University Blackboard. https://class.waldenu.edu

In this section, you’ll find a discussion board post example and a reply to it.

Discussion Board Post Example

Discussion question : What did you learn from the nursing theory course?

One of my major takeaways from this nursing theory course is that top-quality practice and continuous improvement of patient outcomes are impossible without evidence-based practice and ongoing research. Nurses, though often perceived only as supplementary medical staff, can become real change agents and quality improvement ambassadors in their clinical settings. All they need to do to attain these goals is to keep a sharp focus on the everyday practice from which they can collect data about their work and interactions with patients ( Hoeck & Delmar, 2017 ). Once a specific health issue, gap, or problem is identified in the work setting, a nurse can apply their theoretical knowledge and research the variety of existing solutions to the existing problem to improve patient care outcomes and conditions.

I have learned in the course of studies and practice that evidence-based practice formation is a continuous cycle of data collection, critical analysis, and bridging of gaps between theory and practice in the nursing workplace. It takes time and effort, as nurses have to collect large amounts of data on a daily basis and subject them to academic scrutiny for the sake of new knowledge and practice generation. Yet, these efforts always pay off because they link nursing theory and practice and allow nurses to make a difference by delivering tangible, data-backed solutions to existing healthcare problems. These activities inevitably shape continuous healthcare service improvements, resulting in greater patient satisfaction.

Discussion Board Reply Example

I find Janie’s post very insightful and personal; I share many of her reflections on the process of nursing theory studies and months of nursing practice in the workplace setting. Indeed, as Mateo and Foreman (2013) confirmed, evidence-based practice is typically born out of the nurse’s careful and close attention to the details of nursing care they witness and deliver on a daily basis. Once a problem or inefficiency in care delivery is identified, a nurse may work this problem out by researching its fundamental causes and offering theory-backed solutions to improve the situation. This way, no evidence-based practice improvement can emerge in the nursing practice without a continuous cycle of meticulous data collection and assessment, reworking of all relevant theories underlying that issue, and the proposition of workable solutions based on solid clinical evidence. However, I would also note the typical challenges in the nursing practice, such as conceptualizing evidence in EBP and nurturing the critical thinking mindset among nurses that can enable continuous practice improvements.

Thank you for reading! We hope the information in this short guide to discussion board response writing was useful. Consider using these writing tools to speed up your work on any project: question generator from text , key points getter , notes generator , AI essay writer , and rhetorical analysis maker .

Updated: Nov 8th, 2023

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• Writing a Successful Discussion Post - Common Assignments
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This page contains a free discussion board response generator. This online tool will be helpful in case you’re stuck preparing a discussion board reply on a given topic. Here, you’ll also find all the essential information on what discussion board posts are and how to write them effectively.

CFP Board Candidate Open Forum

Dalton Review - Tips for practice questions?

Eric owens 4 days ago, brian murphy 4 days ago, marc lindner 4 days ago, thomas parker 3 days ago, christian wallace 2 days ago.

Peter Stebelton 2 days ago

1.  dalton review - tips for practice questions.

I have been taking the practice questions Dalton offers with their guarantee to pass package. It was recommended I take 100% of the questions for each subject before moving on to the next subject. After completing 100% of all subjects, I was advised to reset the questions and start "custom practice sessions" with 50+ questions per session.

I have a hard time believing I am taking the right approach... does anyone have recommendations for Dalton's platform? I have never used Dalton before and feel like other providers have had more structure at the final stages. Thanks! 

2.  RE: Dalton Review - Tips for practice questions?

I just passed on March 16th first attempt using Dalton Review. I can't say it is the best but how I approached the questions was this way.

• Do 300 questions of custom so it prompts all subjects. 2. After those 300, assess areas I am weak in by checking your grades by section and identify areas of weakness.  3. Spend next few weeks practicing those areas to increase grades.  4. After practicing areas of weakness, go back and study all questions again to ensure you don't forget areas that were strengths.  5. Repeat as necessary ( I did this once, total questions I completed was around 900)

Once I did that, I took one Dalton practice exam and the CFP practice exam.

Week prior to exam I focused heavy on CFP ethics and calculations because if you get those down, they are free points. 

3.  RE: Dalton Review - Tips for practice questions?

I passed in the March exam cycle, first attempt, using Dalton.  I started earlier than the Dalton schedule suggested.  I did 100% of their practice questions, subject by subject, in the order they suggested in their schedule.  After completing each set of questions I went back and reviewed those I got wrong.  I also took their live review, which I found to be very helpful.  It was about a month before I took the exam and it got me focused on specific "testable" material.  For the final month before the exam I looked over my notes from the review a few times, took one Dalton full length practice exam and two CFP board practice exams. 

4.  RE: Dalton Review - Tips for practice questions?

I passed first try in November 2022.  I loved the Dalton program, as I thought it was very thorough.  I did all the questions they recommended and then I created my own personal tests with the questions in the books and online where I got the answers wrong.  Thinking that if I could get half of those correct I would pass the test.  I found the test to be well within the knowledge-set I acquired with Dalton.  Sounds like you are on the right track.   Best of luck - tom p 

5.  RE: Dalton Review - Tips for practice questions?

I took the test for the first time in March and Passed using Dalton for the exam review and The American College for the coursework. For me, I am certainly not a reader so I did not even touch the books or any of the reading material they offered (besides the Standards of Conduct and Code of Ethics which I highly suggest you read now, then read again about 3 days before the exam). 

They do weekly live class sessions which are super helpful and will help you with tips and tricks especially involving making the difficult much simpler. After every two live classes, I would just hammer away at the questions that pertain to those classes. Go through each subsection twice before moving on to the next set of live classes and questions. MY biggest takeaway was the live classes (and videos in the resources section that go over specific subjects) in conjunction with doing the question bank at least twice made taking the exam super easy. Everyone learns differently, do not stress too much about it as it can distract you, and good luck on your exam in July.

Christian Wallace, MBA

6.  RE: Dalton Review - Tips for practice questions?

Work every problem you can find without looking at the answers and as soon as you finish a set of 30 or so, grade yourself while taking notes on every question, even the questions where you got the right answer.  You need to capture Dalton's logic for why the answer was what it was.  Keep a notebook full of every practice question you can find, Dalton or not.  Review this notebook non-stop throughout the day.  Taking notes is the best way to solidify memory.

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