Using subject matter experts with asynchronous discussions can be an effective strategy to enhance critical thinking. Learners enjoy reading about individuals and subject matter experts who relate to the course materials. Subject matter experts provide a human element to discussions, and can make issues more meaningful.
Use subject matter experts as guest facilitators to lead asynchronous discussions for a set period of time. Before the discussion learners read a paper or article written by the guest facilitator that relates to a subject in the course. Then questions are prepared to ask the guest facilitator. Next, the questions are posted to the online discussion, and learners justify their questions by relating them to the guest facilitator’s work. Next, the questions critiqued before they are presented to the guest facilitator. Finally, after the guest facilitator has answered the prepared questions, learners analyze and evaluate the process.
However, if you can’t find someone to personally fill that role,allow your students to use one of the many “expert sites” to get answers to their questions and then they can post them on the class discussion board.
- Ask an Expert https://ask.extension.org/ask
- Ask an Expert Sources http://www.cln.org/int_expert.html