WHAT IS IT?
The Discussion Project Virtual is an online training for designing and implementing online (rather than in-person) classroom discussion. For those who have participated in The Discussion Project in the past, you will find some material to be similar, though every principle or activity addresses the challenges and affordances of discussion in the online environment. The training will focus on synchronous video conference discussion but will also address asynchronous discussion boards.

HOW DOES THE APPLICATION WORK?
For full consideration for an October cohort, apply by September 11. Please note that this Google Form is an application for the training; it is not a sign up. When you fill in the application in Google Forms, it will automatically send to your email a receipt with your responses, should you like to flag that email.

WHO CAN TAKE THE TRAINING?
Any UW-Madison instructor may apply (faculty, academic staff, and graduate students).  To participate in an August cohort, you must be teaching a fall 2020 course. To participate in an October cohort, you must be teaching  a spring 2021 course. Priority will be given to *primary instructors*.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?
The purpose of the training is to help university instructors...
-understand how the characteristics of online communication affect discussion and classroom climate and account for these in their discussion plans;
-take responsibility for creating an equitable and inclusive classroom climate conducive to high quality discussion by implementing strategies that engage all students;
-distinguish between discussion and other forms of student talk/interaction and articulate the benefits of discussion for student learning;
-identify the relative advantages of different ways of structuring discussion and match discussion types to specific learning objectives;
-effectively plan, implement, and reflect on classroom discussions; and
-implement strategies that develop students’ discussion skills.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?
The training is comprised of 5 two-hour synchronous video conference sessions in Canvas / BBCollaborate Ultra, each accompanied by about 1 hour of asynchronous work in Canvas. Because The Discussion Project Virtual is also a design research study, we ask that participants commit to completing all aspects of the training including completing all modules / sessions and taking all participant surveys.