Course Description

Welcome to the FLO MicroCourse: Write a Compelling Discussion Prompt!

This course is about asynchronous online discussions (AOD): what they are, how to design them, and how to facilitate them. By virtue of its customizable and experiential nature, everyone – whether a novice or an expert – should be able to come away with new ideas for their classroom.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• THEORY. Describe the theory behind the use of asynchronous online discussions in the classroom (including how to design and facilitate them);
• EXPERIENCE. Experience several modalities (formats) and types of asynchronous online discussions as a learner or participant and reflect on the experience;
• INSPIRATION. Gain inspiration from several examples and ideas for asynchronous online discussions;
• CREATE. Design and develop an asynchronous online discussion for your classroom and improve it based on peer feedback.

This course is organized into 5 days.

• Day 1 is about experiencing different platforms for AOD. Think of it as a fair to explore new ways to engage in an AOD as a learner. Participate in as many, or as few, as you like.
• Day 2 is about beefing up our knowledge of AOD and how to design and facilitate them. A book maps the journey, filled with external links to additional resources. Feel free to customize your journey: You can browse the book, or dive into a rabbit hole. The choice is yours.
• Day 3 is about going on the journey you choose. There are two paths.
  • Designer Path. This option encourages you to design an AOD and pilot it with this group. This will give you peer feedback that you can use to improve it before you use it in your courses.
    
  • Explorer Path. This option is for people without immediate plans to create and use an AOD who are here to gain ideas and inspiration. Use this day to dive deeper into an area of the book (and its resources) that intrigues you, and engage in online discussions with colleagues.
• Day 4 is about showcasing the work of the folks in the Designer Path, experiencing the AOD they created, and providing feedback on it.
• Day 5 is about finalizing the above and reflecting on what was learned.
  

While we understand that the schedule of adult learners is busy, we recommend that you set aside 60 minutes each day to complete the activities.