Chat-based Alternatives to Online Discussion Forums

The following is an overview of my presentation for the APA Webinar, Pedagogies for Teaching Philosophy Online that took place on September 25, 2020. The slides from the presentation including an image of one of the platforms discussed can be found here.

In my own experience and through conversations with others, I have found that many philosophy teachers find that they are dissatisfied with discussion forums in their online classes. Students often respond in formulaic ways that seem motivated solely by the goal of getting points, and professors are left feeling that the discussions are superficial and fail to achieve their intended ends. While there are lots of things we can do to improve discussion board assignments, another option professors may want to consider is to use a different platform altogether. Just as the physical arrangement of the classroom impacts how students engage with one another in the classroom, the digital environment similarly affects how students engage with our online classes. In my own classes, I have found that using a chat-based platform is more effective for creating the sense of community and the generative conversations I hope for in my online classes than using traditional discussion forums.

Discussion forums, in their digital architecture, are essentially message boards, so it is helpful to consider how users typically make use of message boards in online communication. It turns out that message boards are helpful in two ways. First, they are useful for getting specific answers to specific questions. For example, when the Wi-Fi on my new computer kept cutting out, I found a solution to my problem on a tech support message board. Second, message boards are good for archiving information. Because they are searchable, they can be useful for compiling lists to which people can add. A  message board for online teaching might include a thread, for example, with resources for editing videos. In these ways, message boards are like digital filing cabinets that allow for specific information to be archived and retrieved as needed.

But these are not typically the purposes for which we use discussion forums in our classes. Rather, we often try to replicate the generative back and forth conversations that happen in face to face classes on our discussion forums. But the platform is simply not built to do what we want it to do, and message boards are not places where these kinds of rich back and forth conversations happen easily. Chat-based platforms, by contrast, are much better suited for our needs. The two most popular chat-based platforms are Slack and Discord, both of which are free to use. Another option is Teams (part of the Microsoft 365 Suite) and some Learning Management Systems have started to incorporate chat-based platforms into their sites.

There are a number of features of chat-based platforms that make them preferable for online discussions. First, they allow for spontaneous synchronous interactions even in asynchronous classes. That is, students will often find that they are online at the same time and end up engaging in a synchronous back and forth chat that rarely or never occurs in discussion forums where users cannot see who is online and have to refresh to see new posts. I myself have ended up chatting with students synchronously when they are online during my office hours. Students who might not make an appointment to come see me during office hours or take the time to send an email will often ask a quick question and engage with me via chat. Furthermore, because of the formality of posting to discussion forums, discussion forums don’t include fleeting and incidental interactions that often occur in chat-based platforms. For example, in a chat, someone might reply to another person with a quick “good point” or “lol.” These brief exchanges give life and presence to a conversation. Relatedly, chat-based platforms allow for emoji reactions to comments so students can express a range of reactions in a quick and informal way. In particular, I have found that students often use emojis to praise one another for especially insightful posts. Discord, one of the free chat-based platforms mentioned above also allows for the creation of custom emojis, and I have experimented with pedagogical uses of having students create and respond using emojis with specific, agreed upon meanings for our class. In addition to emojis, chat-based platforms allow for a more seamless embedding of photos, gifs, links, and files.  And finally, some chat-based platforms like Slack and Discord have robust mobile apps, making them more accessible for students who may have limited access to a computer.

Despite these benefits, there are some challenges that it is important to acknowledge when considering a switch to chat-based platforms for online discussion. First, there is the problem of “platform fatigue.” Students can feel overwhelmed with the number of platforms instructors are using, especially as many students are taking all of their classes online for the first time. To mitigate these problems, I have found that it is helpful to explain to students the reasons for using the platform so that they understand that the decision is not an arbitrary one. In my own classes, I also have a week of practice assignments at the beginning of the semester that are entirely designed around platform familiarity before we dive into the material. I also make sure to follow up with students who seem to be struggling early on, and I make sure that I am highly available the first couple weeks of class to provide support. In addition to platform fatigue, there is the problem of faculty having to learn a new platform, which may not be worthwhile especially if faculty are not planning to teach online in the future. And finally, there is the problem of using a third-party platform not supported by one’s institution. Some institutions may have rules against using third-party platforms, so it may be worth checking to make sure that you are allowed to use alternative platforms before doing so.

Like any pedagogical decision, switching to a chat-based platform will involve trade offs, but I think it is a change worth considering. Our Learning Management Systems can often lead us, too often, to make unreflective pedagogical decisions. And while we should be careful about introducing too many new things in our classes, creating the conditions for richer and more generative discussions is, in my view, worth the time and effort.