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Instructional Resources for Library Instructors: Monitored Discussion Forums

Monitored Forums A/Synchronously

An online space available for students to pose questions and view Librarian responses as a collective or individually. Discussion forums can be offered synchronously through tools like Zoom or Nectir, or asynchronously through GauchoSpace. Monitored discussion forums enable you to establish a consistent means of contact and efficiently respond to commonly asked questions.

Quick how-tos

How to create a forum in GauchoSpace

  • Directions (Google SlideDeck with images)

  • Best practices for creation
    • Communicate with your faculty about the best place to add your discussion forum (which week, tab, or section of GauchoSpace)
    • Clearly label your discussion forum so it can be easily identified as the Librarian/Research Help forum

Setting up your discussion forum 

  • Directions (Google SlideDeck with images)

  • Best practices for setup
    • Clearly identify your forum in the title as librarian led and tied to a specific research assignment
    • Provide basic details on the course page including
      • Name of assignment you're helping with
      • Your name
      • How long you'll be monitoring the forum (dates or weeks of the quarter)
      • How often you'll be checking the forum (2x day recommended)
    • Create a pinned Welcome post with the following information
      • Some information about you (informal is ok)
      • Explain what you're offering in the forum, provide some examples
      • Link to resources (including LibGuide) if desired
      • Ways to contact you outside of the forum if desired
      • Details about what your working expectations (ie. I will check this forum once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I typically will not check the forum after 6pm PST)
      • If you're using specific times in your descriptions, specify the time zone
    • Subscribe to your welcome post in case of replies

Monitoring your discussion forum

  • Directions (Google SlideDeck with images)
  • Best practices
    • Subscribe to the forum to get email updates
    • Send an announcement via GauchoSpace letting students know the forum is open, where to find it, and some of the basics about when it's being checked
    • If you have similar questions multiple times, consider making a separate post that you can link to or direct students to later
    • Pin often referred to topics so they'll be near the top
    • Send a wrap-up announcement to let students know when you're done monitoring the forum
Want to practice in GauchoSpace? Visit the Instruction Repository, just please don't delete anything you didn't create. 

GauchoSpace Terms & Lingo

  • GauchoSpace - GauchoSpace (GS) is the UCSB Learning Management System (LMS) and is based on Moodle, and open source LMS system.  GaucoSpace is the way students and instructors connect for online learning, turning in assignments, retrieving readings and other class functions. 

  • Activity - An activity in GS is where students interact with each other or with their instructor.  Some examples include a forums, wikis, or quizzes.  Activities in GS can be graded. 

  • Resources - Resources are items that instructors add to support learning such as readings, videos, or links to websites. Resources are static, activities encourage student interactions. 

  • Blocks - Are widgets (small self-contained blocks) that can be added to the side of a GS course - usually things like calendars, RSS Feeds, and others, but if you're planning to offer updates to your LibGuide rather than interacting much in GS this may be a better option than an entire module.

  • Module - Not a technical term but GS courses can be set up around weeks, tabbed sections, topics and more. A module is a collection of instruction pieces that can be moved into another course.  Generally it has an instruction resource paired with an activity or assessment piece. 

  • Roles - all participants in GS have assigned roles that dictate what one can do in the the course.  

    • Instructor - Instructor of record in GOLD, only user that can create the course site. Adds and manages resources, activities, and grades. Can add users assign roles.

    • Student - Participates in the course by using resources and participating in activities. 

    • Editing Teaching Assistant (TAs) - Have the same permissions as instructors but cannot assign this role to others. 

    • Non-Editing Teaching Assistant (TAs)  - Can send emails to students, grade assignments, view gradebook, but cannot make any changes to the course. 

  • Asynchronous/Synchronous - If your class is going to meet all together at one time (for example in a Zoom room) this is called Synchronous instruction.  If your instruction involves sharing a video or reading followed by a discussion forum or other activity that does not involve everyone to participate at the same time this is Asynchronous instruction. 

 An activity in GS is where students interact with each other or with their instructor.  Some examples include a forums, wikis, or quizzes.  Activities in GS can be graded. 

Activities/Resources menu: Basic mode and Advanced tools

Quizzes

Forums

​Wikis

Resources in GS 

Page

  • Use this option if you want to embed a video or provide some readings with directions for your students.  This is where the students will be in GauchoSpace and they will not have to leave to navigate to a new space to participate in the work. 

File

  • Use this option if you just want to provide a handout or something similar.  This option is used most often for readings and will look similar to the students. 

URL

  • I just want to use my LibGuide! <--- if this is you, do this.

Why GauchoSpace?

Why you may want to work in GauchoSpace rather than just making your guide...

Strengths of GS Drawbacks/Weaknesses
  • Students in the class will already be here: they won't need to navigate to the Library homepage, click on this link, then go...
  • Auto grading: most of our instructors are moving to an online only environment very quickly, discussion forums, quizzes, and other activities can connect directly to the grade book. If you're teaching a session and they can use it for participation points with ease it will make their life easier. 
  • Context: If the instructor places the library information adjacent to the other materials and provides some context it should help the students connect the library with their research assignment. 
  • Possible privacy concerns (even non-editing TAs have access to the grade book)
  • Privacy concerns: some instructors don't like other people in their course
  • Lack of control: you cannot control your portion of the lesson once you turn it over to the instructor.  

 

Making a case with your faculty about why to be in GS

Possible Concerns Response 

Technology

That sounds great, but I don't know how to get it into my module...

Do you have time [plan for an hour] on x day to take a Zoom call with me? We  can share a screen and I'll walk you through how to import or add what I've made.

NOTE: If you need help with the tech part ask.

Time (worried about class time)

I worry we won't get as much time with the students as is and I don't have time to include the library this quarter.

 

Assessment

Within GauchoSpace

External

  • Google Forms
  • LibWizard

Note: In the Librarian role you will not have access to the course grade book. If you create a quiz or other assessment in GauchoSpace it can be auto graded and added to the grade book (+) but you won't be able to see the specifics of student responses (-).  If you decide with your faculty that you want to set up a quiz for participation points or similar, set up an auto grade assignment in GauchoSpace.  If you are trying to do a pre or post assessment where you want to address students' misconceptions or build on existing knowledge, use an external tool and link to it.

Making Accessible Resources

Making Accessible Word Documents

  • Include alternative text with images and tables
  • Use built-in headings and styles
  • Use hyperlink text, don't just include the link

Note: If you are using Word, Powerpoint or Excel, there is a built in accessibility checker you can use. 

Making Accessible PowerPoints

Online Office Hours

If you have made arrangements to be in your faculty member's GauchoSpace class you may want to offer online office hours.  You can put information on how to reach you and when you'll be available in your welcome post on the discussion forum.  

Best practices for Online Office Hours:

  • Try to offer a range of times - every morning at 10 is not going to be convenient for all students
  • Coordinate your office hours with your faculty - Do you want to offer your office hours at the same time? At different times? What works best for this class?
  • Link to your personal Zoom Meeting ID
  • Are you going to be doing this all quarter? Just a few weeks? Let students know as soon as you can
  • Include a link to LibCal or other contact information for students who cannot make your office hours

 

Nectir

Nectir is a program being new tool being offered to the campus, it is an education-needs focused open-sourced version of Slack (a business chat tool).

Nectir functions in a very similar way to forums for our purposes - it is a place that students can connect with instructors, other students, TAs (and librarians).  If you are going to be using Nectir you can set up similar expectations with your students.

Learn more about Nectir

 

 

 

 

Need a place to practice? Use this channel.