Discussions in Online Classes

Discussions are very important in online courses to allow instructors to meet "regular effective contact" (see p.10 - 55204. Instructor Contact) requirements and help students to engage in course material. However, discussions pose several challenges for instructors. A series of three articles from the Online Learning Insights blog offers some good insights and suggestions to help faculty facilitate online discussions.

1. How to get students to participate in online discussions 
2. How to facilitate robust discussions online 
3. The Methods and Means to grading Student Participation in Online Discussions