Research shows that use of an online discussion forum has a positive impact on student satisfaction and learning. For example, it has the potential to:

• Build class com­mu­nity by pro­mot­ing dis­cus­sion and serve as a vehicle through which learning can occur online.
  (Palloff and Pratt, 1999).
• Con­tribute to the devel­op­ment of problem solving, crit­i­cal think­ing, and writ­ing skills (Kolloff, 2011).
• Promote coherent shared understanding of content (Newmann and Wehlage, 1993).
• Provide students a higher level of performance than in the same online course without discussions (Beaudoin, 2001).
• Improve student achievement and satisfaction, as reflected by test performance, grades, and student satisfaction (Roblyer & Ekhaml, 2000).

The myCourses Discussions tool can support a wide range of course activities and interaction such as:
 

• Critical Thinking and Engaged Learning Strategies: Supports a variety of critical thinking and engaged learning strategies across a number of disciplines. Students can work individually or in small teams. For some examples of these kinds of these learning activities using myCourses Discussions see:
  • Problem of the Week (pdf)
  • Case Study Analysis (pdf)
• Community Building Among Online Learners: Serves as a virtual ‘course commons’ that facilitates more informal, social exchanges as a means for students to get to know one another in a fully online course. For examples of community building activities using myCourses Discussions tool, see:
  • Personal Introductions (pdf)
  • Virtual Café/Lounge (pdf) 
• Class Communication and Mechanics: Streamlines and organize a variety of course-related communications and logistics, especially within an online course.  For examples used in myCourses Discussions, see:
  • Q and A Forum (pdf)

For suggestions on developing and managing activities in myCourses Discussions tool, see also:

• 9 Essential Practices for Your Discussion Activity

TLS Resources:

The following resources provide configuration instructions for the Discussions tool in myCourses.

Setup Checklist

• Discussion setup checklist

Technical Documentation

• Discussion technical documentation

Video Tutorials

• Setting up your discussion
• Posting / Replying to Messages
• Discussion demonstration for your students

Book:

• Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Articles:

• Conaway, R.N., Easton, S.S. & Schmidt, W.V. (2005). Strategies for enhancing student interaction and immediacy in online courses. Business Communication Quarterly 68(1), 23-35.
• Kolloff, M. (2011). Strategies for effective student/student interaction in online courses. 17th annual conference on distance teaching and learning.
• Muirhead, B. (2004). Encouraging interaction in online classes. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning 1(6). Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/journal/jun_04/article07.htm

• Beaudoin, M. (2001). Learning or lurking? Tracking the ‘invisible’ online student. Orlando, FL: Paper delivered at the 7th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks.
• Kolloff, M. (2011). Strategies for effective student/student interaction in online courses. 17th annual conference on distance teaching and learning.
• Moore, M.G. (1989). Three types of interaction, American Journal of Distance Education 3(2), 1-6.
• Roblyer, M.D. & Ekhaml, L. (2000). How interactive are your distance courses? A rubric for assessing interaction in distance learning. DLA 2000 proceedings, Callaway, Georgia, June 7-9, 2000.
• Swan, K. (2002). Building learning communities in online courses: The importance of interaction. Education, Communication & Information, 2(1), 23-49.