Summary: General information on this mini-course
This course is one in a series of distance education faculty development mini-courses. This course, Managing and Maintaining the Discussion Board for Distance Courses, cover many tips to help you successfully use the interactive nature of discussion boards.
Including certain written instructions and expectations in your distance course will help students understand how they should perform on the discussion board. Activities to engage students and provide practice in using the discussion board reinforce these expectations. Using certain types of responses can reduce instructor workload while maintaining adequate instructor presence to promote interaction in the distance course. It is the combination of these types of activities that make the discussion a valuable location for student learning in the distance course.
"Information on how to set the stage for active discussion in your course with tips for managing large discussion forums."