Assignment Spotlight: Discussion Board Samples - Part 2

We are still celebrating the month of February as "Engaging Discussion Board Assignments" month. In this week's blog post I will share an example from my Policy in Healthcare and Nursing course. 

One of the topics we discuss in this course is in law and legislation. This topic can be very tedious and dry. In order to help students understand that our Senators and Congress Representatives are real people just like them, I give them an assignment to make it more real. Here is an example of an Discussion Board assignment I teach on this topic:

Assignment

Senate Stories: The Senate Stories is a collection of stories, written by Senate historians that reflects all areas of Senate activity from the well-known and notorious to the unusual and even whimsical. Presented to enlighten, amuse, and inform, the stories provide clear impressions about the forces, events, and personalities that have shaped the modern Senate.

1. Visit the Senate Stories Collection
   
2. Select one Senate Story and summarize it
3. Why did you select this story? What did you like most about it?

In this exercise students can see that our representatives are real people and can learn insights that they would not have readily been exposed to. These stories are likely to stay with students long after they leave this course, which is also one of the goals.

I'd love to see some of your own ideas for sparking joy and creativity through engaging discussion board assignments. Be sure to share your ideas in The Online Educator Facebook Group by clicking the link HERE. Also, as a treat don’t forget to GRAB YOUR FREE GUIDE to the 3 Secrets to Teaching Online Successfully.