Channel Models 

 

This module itemizes some of the different types of channels you can use to customize your server. These examples should help you to assess which channel models are more or less likely to add value to your course. We will return to many of these channels in the Instructional Kit so the suggestions below should simply put these models on your radar. Although by no means exhaustive, they should be a good catalyst for you to hash out the purpose that different channels can fulfill as part of your classroom server. 

Text channels

  • #general: this channel serves as an all-purpose space for students to air their thoughts, ask questions, and join in conversation with you and their peers as part of large-group discussion.
  • #introductions: this channel gives students an occasion to introduce themselves and get to know one another as a way of onboarding them to the server. 
  • #off-topic or #random: this channel gives you and your students a place to post articles and videos, gifs/memes, events, club details, and unrelated content to class activities. 
  • #threads: this channel offers you and your students a select space to engage in threaded conversation in relation to large-group discussion and other ongoing dialogues.
  • #freewrites: this channel affords students a space to write freely in response to guided prompts and associated writing activities.
  • #quotables: this channel offers you and your students a space to excerpt quotations from readings that are especially striking or noteworthy. 

Voice Channels

  • Class Meetings: this channel affords you and your students a place to meet for synchronous class sessions. It can serve as an all-purpose videoconferencing space for your class, though do note that the maximum occupancy for voice and video on Discord is 25 participants. 
  • Study Room: this channel provides students a learning commons in which to study and talk over voice and video in their own time. It is a class-adjacent, voluntary student space. 

Read-Only Channels

  • #announcements: this channel allows you to communicate updates and homework reminders to your class on a running basis. An #announcements channel can act as a one-stop-shop for students to keep up to date on the weekly affairs of your course. 
  • #syllabus: this channel allows you to share with your students either a link to your syllabus or the contents of the syllabus itself. A #syllabus channel can help unify your course materials and streamline the time it takes for students to find the info they need to succeed in your course. 
  • #assignments: this channel allows you to post links, updates, and submissions portals related to the assignments of your course. An #assignments channel offers a stable space to locate key information, expectations, and parameters around the assignment sequence of your class.  
  • #quick-links / #useful-links: this channel allows you to consolidate the relevant links of your course into one channel. A #quick-links channels can expedite the time needed for students to locate key information and course materials at the center of your class. 
  • #guidelines / #info-rules: this channel allows you to set the terms of engagement for your Discord server. A #guidelines channel is a good opportunity for you to outline what students can expect from text- and voice-based communication in your classroom server. 
  • #sign-ups: this channel allows you to share a scheduling link for students to sign up for office hours conferences with you. A #sign-ups channel serves as a complement to the Conferences voice channel below. 

Group-Only Channels

We will return to group-only channels in the Instructional Kit module on group collaboration. That said, below are three key channels that I recommend creating for each peer group. These might vary depending on the group collaboration activities that you assign your students. 

  • #discussion / #group-[#]: this channel acts as a closed communication space for group work
  • #documents / #docs: this channel is for file-sharing documents and links with group members
  • Group Video / Group [#]: this channel is the voice-channel equivalent of the #discussion channel intended to give students a semi-private space to talk over voice and video. 

1-to-1 Channels

Like with group channels, we will return to one-to-one channels in the Instructional Kit. Here below are two examples of how it can be used in your classroom server. 

  • #[lastname]-grades: this channel affords you a student-specific space to post grades for each student in your class. The number of these channels will equal the number of students in your classroom server. Each will have a unique role attached to their account giving them access to it. 
  • Conferences / Office Hours: this channel serves as a 1-to-1 office hours space where you can conference with students. It can serve as a complement to the #sign-ups text channel above. You do not need to make this channel role-exclusive so long as your students understand its upper limit to be two server participants. 

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