Welcome to the Blackboard Mailbag, where we feature a commonly asked question that has been hitting our mailbox recently: blackboard@fordham.edu. You’ll find an archive of all of the previous questions and answers on our fordham.edu/blackboard website.
Note: Features may change with future updates.
Enhancing Engagement with Blackboard Discussions
Online discussions offer a powerful way to extend classroom conversations, promote critical thinking, and build a sense of community in your courses. Unlike in-person discussions, online forums allow students to take time to reflect before responding, often leading to more thoughtful engagement. Additionally, they provide instructors with an opportunity to gauge students’ understanding, correct misconceptions, and foster continuous learning beyond scheduled class hours.
Maximizing Discussions in Blackboard
Blackboard Discussions allow for both full-class and smaller group interactions, ensuring that students can engage in meaningful dialogue with peers. By structuring discussions effectively, instructors can create an environment where students feel encouraged to share insights, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of course material.
AI-Powered Assistance for Discussion and Rubric Creation
Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant can help streamline the process of creating effective discussions and grading rubrics:
- Generate Discussion Prompts: With AI assistance, instructors can quickly create discussion questions tailored to course objectives, ensuring thought-provoking and structured conversations.
- Build Rubrics Efficiently: The AI tool can generate grading rubrics for discussions, making assessment criteria clear for both instructors and students.
Tracking Student Engagement with Discussion Analytics
Blackboard’s Discussion Analytics feature provides valuable insights into student participation. Instructors can:
- View all responses from a single student in one place.
- Analyze response patterns to identify active participants and those who may need additional support.
- Access overall discussion metrics to gauge engagement levels.
Resources for Effective Online Discussions
To further enhance discussion facilitation, consider these additional resources:
- Generating and Facilitating Engaging and Effective Online Discussions (University of Oregon)
- Discussion Strategies and Best Practices (Carnegie Mellon University)
By leveraging Blackboard Discussions and AI-powered tools, you can foster deeper engagement, encourage meaningful dialogue, and create a more dynamic and inclusive online learning experience.
For additional FAQs and resources about Blackboard, visit fordham.edu/blackboard, attend one of our workshops, sign up to meet with us on our EdTech Consultation Calendar via Zoom, or reach out to us with your availability and we will work with you to accommodate small groups and one-on-one sessions.
Have feedback or suggestions on features? Blackboard’s parent company Anthology hosts The Idea Exchange. This is a place specifically for Blackboard to track and manage enhancement requests. It allows for things like upvoting ideas and sharing development plans and statuses. You will need to create an account to access the Idea Exchange.