Nowadays, students has to be attracted towards the subject using innovative teaching pedagogy, we can use online learning management systems like schoology, edmodo, moodle etc. Also we can prepare quiz questions in web based applications like quizizz or kahoot and post them in whatsapp group, so students can use some time in social media for learning purpose.

Students are all familiar with using word processing software. So, why not use a shared Google document to host online threaded group discussions to analyze and debate complex topics/problems? Student post replies by simply hitting Enter at the end of a posting, and type Ctrl+] to indent and left justify the reply text. It's that simple. :-)

To enhance the learning process and to make the process explicit to the students, I instruct them to tag each of the postings to identify its function (or dialog move) as either an ARGument, EXPLanation, EVIDence, or BUT (to challenge and test veracity).

Benefits of using Google docs for group discussions:

• Students are already familiar with the Word processing interface
• Instructor can post right margin comments to provide student feedback without posting directly into the discussions so to minimize disruptions to the discussion flow
• Save and download entire discussion into a Word document
• Work collaboratively to construct diagrams (to summarize or analyze ideas presented in the discussions) in the Google document using the DrawDiagram tool.

See my example at http://bit.ly/threadeddiscussionswithgoogledocs

How to use Google docs to host online group discussions in 100 words!

1) Create new Google document

2)File/share/advanced/change/anyoneWithLinkCanEdit

3) File/Publish

4) File/PageSetup/Landscape

5) Insert questions in larger size font and in bold type

6) Insert/HorizontalLines to visually separate questions

7) Insert blank lines below each question with smaller font size

8) Place cursor at beginning of each question and Insert/Bookmark

9) Click bookmark/links to get and post direct URLs to each question

10) Instruct your students to:

a) log into Google account & Zoom-in document at 150%

b) click link “Last edit...” to view new posts since last visit

c) indent and left-align replies by typing CTRL+ ]

d) start reply with name enclosed in parentheses

One can also use a Google spreadsheet to host threaded discussions so that you can use spreadsheet formulas to gauge/measure student's performance (e.g. COUNTIF(A1:C100, "because") to count how often students are explaining their reasoning. The draw back is that posting a reply is a multi-step process: insert a new row below the message, merge all the cells one cell to the right and below the message, and then type in reply. I wrote a Google app script macro to automate this process (http://bit.ly/forumtoolbox), but sadly Google is phasing out the app scripts in March 2019.

--Allan

A good starting point would be to evaluate and compare existing social networking applications using evaluation criteria that are operationally defined in terms of specific behavioral sequences associated with specific types of group discussions/tasks (e.g. Q&A, argumentation, root cause analysis, brainstorming solutions), and based on this evaluation, identify areas for further improvement/innovation.