The discussion forum in the online classroom patterns the discussion which occurs in face-to-face classrooms with the exception of there is more time to reflect and contribute.  This forum is more than just writing answers to questions, but it is reflecting, sharing experiences, critical thinking and critical connections to reinforce theories and concepts.  The discussion forum in many classes can be as much as forty percent of the student's grade and the participation is paramount to the overall learning experience.  The necessity of active engagement is critical to the overall learning experience.  Although, all instructors have been exposed to various techniques to facilitate active discussion, I have benchmarked a few to stimulate more rigorous and in-depth discussion on the weekly topics.  These of course are a mix-and-match and based on the class dynamics and situation.

One technique I have incorporated recently is a weekly wrap-up of the discussion and asking the students to tell the class in three to six sentences what was one point which impacted or was reinforced during the week.  Some weeks I add a new thread entitled "instructor's two-cents worth" or "points to ponder".  Sometimes I add a thread to share an extraction from an article which reinforces the weekly discussion.  Finally, I like to use catchy subject headings, which entice the students to read my response.  By using these techniques, I have noticed the participation has increased from the minimum requirement to almost 100 % of the students exceeding the standards. 

Faculty Spotlight:

Swinton Hudson was born in South Carolina and currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina.  After a career with the Federal Government and Army National Guard (Reserves), he chose to retire and pursue other interests.  His assignments with the Federal Government included Information Technology Supervisor, Operations manager, Training Manager and Human Resources.  Upon retirement he opened his company, Management Outsourcing Group, LLC, which specializes in management and employee issues, training and investigations.  Currently he is an arbitrator with the 11^th circuit court in South Carolina where he hears youthful offender cases for restorative justice.

Swinton earned a Masters of Arts degree with a specialization in Business Management from Liberty University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Liberty University and an Associate of Business degree from Midlands Technical College.  He also completed graduate studies at Webster University, received specialized training and certification at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute and Dale Carnegie Corporation, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 

He has been teaching certification courses for the Federal Government and local colleges since 1995 and on-line since 2008.  He has been an adjunct instructor with Grand Canyon University since 2010 (which he refers to as "home").

He enjoys spending free time with his wife, Jean, his four sons and two grandchildren.