5 Online Discussion Benefits That Improve Your Student’s Thinking
By Alexander Schneider
Have you ever tried to let your students discuss in the classroom? Then you may be familiar with the positive effects this has on them. But what about online discussions where the students are not physically present?
There are five distinct benefits that online discussions have on your students.
- Everybody can participate
- More constructive and structured outcomes
- Improved collaboration
- Easier to create an informed opinion
- More engagement
1. Everybody can participate
Inclusion can be a challenging task. Many introverted people may be too shy to chime in during a live discussion. Others do not feel comfortable sharing their opinions and talking points when all eyes are on them.
Those issues do not apply in online discussions. Optimally, you allow the students to participate anonymously. This way, introverted people or those uncomfortable attaching their names to their statements are enabled to participate.
2. More constructive and structured outcomes
Discussions are online automatically structured by the software they use. In forums, statements become a list of viewpoints. In schnaq, every discussion becomes a network of thoughts.
Online has a distinct advantage because emotions sometimes get the better of the students while discussing face to face. Online discussions in a collaborative setting tend to be more rational and thus constructive.
With schnaq, the statements and arguments in a discussion form a network. This network can also be automatically visualized as a mind map if needed. © Unsplash
3. Improved collaboration
The benefits of collaboration online are well researched. There are few places better suited for collaborating than the sharing of thoughts.
Everybody can contribute their diverse knowledge, experiences, and opinions to form a shared understanding of a topic.
4. Easier to create an informed opinion
With an online discussion, there is plenty of time to process the arguments and statements from the other participants. The need for an immediate answer is gone. This way, more thought-out assertions are fostered.
Unlike in a physical discussion, there is also the time to do some research on things unclear. Which also improves the arguments made.
5. More engagement
Online discussions are one of the best ways to engage students outside of the lecture. The students do other assignments like writing reports or learning about a topic in solitude.
Online discussions are the opposite of that. Interactive, engaging, and collaborative. You can try out schnaq online discussions with your students free of charge right now.
Should you need additional pro features, contact schnaq at hello@schnaq.com for an education discount.