Overview

We will be following a very specific kind of online discussion format called "Branched Discussions." This structure is based on two ideas:

Discussions should build on ideas over time while returning back to the main concepts that support the conversation, based on a "spiral curriculum" (Bruner, 2009; National Research Council, 2000) with Bloom’s revised taxonomy (Krathwohl, 2002; Wedlock, 2017) as a guide; and
Students will be able to engage in effective online dialogue when scaffolding and supports are provided, grounded in the tenets of social constructivism (National Research Council, 2000).

EDUC_W550_current_technology_trends_tree_diagram_update.png

The discussion forum in the course is used to allow students to make meaning and dig deeply into the readings and the concepts for each week. The forum, therefore, is set up on a three-week schedule that mirrors the structure of the unit. Each week focuses on a different level—Understanding, Analyzing, and Transforming—and takes place within the same discussion forum to provide continuity over the three weeks of the unit and allows students to build on their previous responses. The discussion for each week is sparked by a series of questions particularly oriented to the topic and focused by the developmental stage of the week within the unit. The rest of the course structure, from the readings to the other learning and sense-making activities, are set up following the same Bloom’s taxonomy-guided structure.

Students are paired for each module so that they are explicitly partnered with one peer for the duration of the three-week unit. The pairs are responsible for helping each other to grow and learn by asking questions and providing feedback to clarify and hone their understandings, analyses, and transformative approaches. During the first week, Understanding, each student posts an initial response to the Topic-Specific Discussion Questions within the context of the General Discussion Guidelines. Partners then (only) respond to each other’s posts with clarifying questions and encouraging feedback. During the second week, Analysis, each student replies to their own post in response to the Topic-Specific Discussion Questions and they respond to their partner’s Analysis post with clarifying questions and encouraging feedback. This process is repeated one last time for the third week, focused on Transformation.

The idea behind this process is to provide students with a structured flow across the three weeks, and one that builds across time. One way to consider the process is similar to a growing tree: the student’s three posts in response to the Topic-Specific Discussion Questions is similar to the trunk of the learning, while the conversations between the two students around clarifying questions and feedback are similar to branches that can then reinforce the “trunk” through the Understanding-Analyzing-Transforming pathway through the topic.

Details

You will be able to see who your discussion partner is in the Overview page for each Module. You are responsible for replying only to your partner, but you are responsible for providing quality feedback--both in terms of questions and encouragement--to your partner.

Here's how you will go about it:

Post your responses to the provided guiding questions as your Trunk Post;
Wait until your partner posts their Trunk Post, and then reply to your partner's Trunk Post provide feedback in terms of clarifying questions and encouragement in order to help your discussion partner deepen their thinking and increase their understanding of the topic as your Branched Discussion.
Continue to the conversation, such as if you have further questions, respond to the clarifying questions, etc.
During the next week of the module, REPLY BACK TO YOUR EARLIER TRUNK POST as the next stage of your exploration of the ideas under discussion.

This is a different way of holding online dialogue, feel free to ask questions of your instructor and don't worry if you think you might have done something "wrong" -- it's OK!