E-discussion

E-Discussions are online exchanges among members of a group, in written (text) form, that are organized to reflect in depth on important questions related to ongoing projects, initiatives, or development themes. It takes place over several days or a few weeks (by contrast, an Online Jam takes place over an hour or two, with all participants present simultaneously; see ‘Online Jam’ in this Toolbox). E-Discussions are used to improve practice and overcome challenges in a critical development area, to prepare documentation, or to help plan for events.

An E-Discussion occurs in a dedicated online discussion space, such as on an organization’s social networking platform (e.g., Yammer). Participants go to the discussion space independently to read, contribute their answers, and respond to others by noting points of agreement or difference, sharing significant evidence, and raising relevant issues. The group’s responses to the questions discussed represent a concrete output of the E-Discussion. These responses may be summarized by the facilitator, adapted for use in documentation, and applied in event planning and in relevant development contexts.

E-Discussions may be structured (organized in advance around preplanned discussion questions) or unstructured (arising spontaneously through an important question(s) asked of an online group by one of its members). Both approaches benefit from skilled facilitation.