One of my very first professional presentations as an online learning leader, way back in the early 2010s, was on how to improve the facilitation and management of online discussion boards. Over a decade later, I like to think online learning has come a long way and that most of this is common knowledge. However, the 3 steps for effective facilitation and management of online discussion boards still ring true! So, there may be some practical insights here worth considering. If nothing else, these points are good reminders & encouragements, even for more experienced online teachers.

During my first director role, in the early 2010s, we created created a hybrid, modular way to not only complete courses but an entire graduate degree. Now, keep in mind, we are talking about true blended/hybrid teaching, where part of the course is completed online and another part of the course is completed in-person. We are not talking about hyflex, which some wrongly called hybrid, where teaching occurs simultaneously for in-person students and online students via live streaming. We are not talking about hyflex but true hybrid teaching.

In the early 2010s, there was still some resistance to creating fully online programs at some institutions. They believed that the in-person element of education was extremely valuable and worth preserving. Yet the student dynamics, needs, demographics, etc. […]