Why Discussion Forums?

Discussion forums are a way to recreate conversation in the online environment. They offer opportunities for students to exchange ideas, provide feedback, contrast perspectives, and more. Because of their versatility and (fairly) simple logistics, discussion forums are one of the most popular alternatives to encourage interaction across disciplines. Depending on the structure and modality of your course, discussion forums can serve different purposes. For instance, you can use them to help students

introduce themselves,
discuss perspectives on a topic or a piece of evidence,
brainstorm and come up with new ideas,
share different ways to solve a problem, or
show progress and get feedback on a project

Sample Discussion Forums

The following are sample discussion forums used for different purposes. Feel free to use them as inspiration or as a template for your own course(s).

Introduce Yourself: A forum for students to introduce themselves and get started as a community of learners. We have included a sample video from the instructor to kick off introductions, setting the tone.
Discussion Assignment: A forum for students to discuss their perspectives around an article assigned by the instructor. Specific prompts and guidelines for peer responses are presented, as well as a rubric for grading.
Coffee Table: A space for students and the instructor to engage in informal conversation and share interesting resources. Not a fan of coffee? Let it be a tea room, a break room, or whatever place helps you relax and just talk with peers.

Additional Ideas & Guidelines

Tips to design engaging discussion forums in Canvas (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Creative Canvas discussion boards (Miami University)
Series on how to structure engaging discussion forums- Part 1 (Faculty Focus)

Need Help Designing a Discussion Assignment?

We are here to help! Book an appointment with the Instructional Designer assigned to your division and get started with your discussion forums:

Julieth Diaz Benitez: Language Arts, Business/Technology, Kinesiology/Athletics/Dance (Make an appointment with Julieth)
Jennifer Howze-Owens: Creative Arts & Social Science, Math/Science, ASLT (Make an appointment with Jennifer)

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