Online TESOL Training Course Participant-Led Discussion

Board Guidelines
We have gotten our feet wet in the first two units. Now it is time to deepen the
discussions on the discussion board. Here is where the real learning begins through
interaction with each other! You will post at least 3 messages per discussion in each
weekly unit. When you participate in the discussions, you should consider the
content in the unit. Your discussion board posts will be graded weekly for quality of
content (see Discussion Board Rubric). Always interact with each other meaningfully
in each post and use the content in the unit to support your ideas.
Discussion Board Moderators:
Starting this week we will be asking you to serve as discussion board moderators.
Each student will be assigned to moderate two discussion boards between now and
the end of the semester. Charlotte and Yuliya will model this new set up for
everyone for Unit 3 (Week 3). Starting Unit 4, one of you will be responsible for
keeping up the Discussion Board. You will be expected to moderate the discussion
by asking questions that challenge, connect, and extend information posted.
At the start (any time after the unit has been open but not later than the
following Wednesday): You will initiate the discussion by asking motivating
questions and/or posing relevant problems related to the topics of the unit (related
to the discussion prompt). Everyone should post your initial responses to the
discussion prompt by the following Wednesday, Noon before the next instructional
Unit opens (e.g., Unit 4 next week). You will also keep the discussion going by
getting participants to share ideas, explore the question to the discussion (s), and
think critically about the topics or problems posed. You should continue to pose
questions and respond to participants through Friday of the following week (two
days after the Unit has been closed).
Throughout the week: You will encourage participants to find solutions and reallife applications to the problems posed in the previous unit, by using motivating
questions. You will integrate the ideas shared by the group and try to conclude the
unit by highlighting all new ideas, solutions, and applications constructed through
the discussion. You will continue the discussion through Wednesday noon.
Suggestion: Good discussion board posts are 150--250 words. Please try to stay
within this word limit. Lengthy responses are not recommended for research has
found the relevant responses are best contained within 250 words. Happy Posting!
Time frame:
Your discussion board will always be based on the weekly readings. Therefore, you
will be given a week to respond to the discussion prompt. Each Unit will open at 5
p.m. on Wednesdays, which means you have until the following Wednesday to study

the content of the unit and to respond to the discussion board. Once you submitted
your post, please respond to at least two of your peers responses by Friday of that
week. This means that the discussion on the topic from the previous unit will
continue into the next unit. Here is what you will see on the discussion boar
concerting the time frame:
Post by next Wednesday midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST). Then respond
to at least 2 of your peers by Friday midnight EST.
Adapted from: Kang Shin, J., Bickel, B. (2012) Online Language Teacher Education TESOL
Perspectives, 108-109.