Whether you are writing a discussion board for the first time or revising a discussion board that needs a refresh, use the template below to help set you and your students up for success.

Discussion elements

Below are examples of different discussion board elements to include in your online course discussions. Use these elements help explain expectations to students clearly so that students can focus on the discussion and their learning!

• Learning objectives: Learning objectives help students recognize and understand the purpose of the resources they are asked to review and the assessment or activity they are meant to complete.
• Discussion resources: Discussion resources provide links and additional instructions for students related to resources they will need to review in order to be successful during the discussion. You can also reference back to materials previously introduced in that week or module.
• Discussion description: In this section of the discussion, introduce the type of discussion students will complete and explain how the discussion will be assessed.
• Discussion instructions: Now that students understand the purpose and format of the discussion and are prepared to be successful when completing it, it is time to present them with clear and concise instructions.
• Due dates and other policies: Discussions require a lot of interactions and may require students to complete multiple posts in order to keep engagement up. Clearly explain the expectations to students so that no one misses a prompt or a post!

Discussion template

Copy and modify this template as needed based on your course design and delivery strategy.

Overview 

Provide a brief introduction to the discussion. What is the purpose? What will students be exploring or practicing? Is there a certain type of discussion students will complete (small group, course-wide, fishbowl)? How is the discussion assessed (rubric, complete/incomplete, ungraded)? 

By the end of this discussion, you will be able to:

MO 1

MO 2

To prepare for this discussion, review:

Resource 1

Resource 2

Instructions - initial post

Explain what students should do in their first post.

What are they responding to, analyzing, or sharing?

What should they include?

Instructions - peer responses

Explain how students should engage with others.

What should they respond to?

Should they ask questions, challenge ideas, or build on responses?

Explain any expectations for continued conversation or follow-up posts.

Due dates

Initial post: [time] [time zone], [day]

Peer responses: [time] [time zone], [day]

Final posts (if required): [time] [time zone], [day]