Moderating Discussion Forums

In general, build discussion forums with at least a couple of expected check-in times. This way, students won't delay participation until the end of the week. For example:

Assign a due date for mid-week
Assign a reminder to reply to peers before the end of the week

As the week progresses, offer light moderation. Imagine what an ideal discussion would look like in person: e.g., students asking questions of each other, debating, etc. Offer positive feedback to a few students, ask low-lift questions to get them to reply to each other, and point them toward each other's insights.

For variation, you might consider creative forums such as...

Creative Forum Types

Brainstorms

Students list ideas about a reading/topic for the first half of the week. At the midpoint, they respond to the two concepts they like best, explaining why. This approach can help generate ideas and encourage reflection.

Case studies

Post a case study for students to analyze and discuss. In the first half of the week, students explain what they would do. In the second half, they offer constructive feedback to peers. Instructors can also add new wrinkles at the midpoint, introducing unexpected "twists" -- e.g., a patient they were treating has taken a sudden turn for the worse. What do they do now?

Roleplay

The instructor assigns roles to students. Students reply in character. They can step into the shoes of famous authors, excellent thinkers, or figures from contemporary politics. Students then advocate for (or defend) their character’s beliefs. You might also assign general roles like "recorder," "moderator," and "devil’s advocate."

Harvard University's ABLConnect program has collected several examples of roleplay scenarios from different fields.

Jigsaw Variation

Students break into groups, each taking a piece of a topic/reading. Group 1 studies the 1st part of a reading, Group 2 studies the 2nd part, etc. They do this up to the mid-point of the week. They then reconvene as a class to discuss what each group found.

Peer review

The instructor provides an assignment description and rubric. Students submit a first draft of their assignment and use the rubric to review a peer's assignment. This approach gets them peer feedback, and it helps them learn more about assignment expectations.

3CQ

Require each response to include a Compliment, a Comment, a Connection, and a Question.

The Final Word

Select one student to post their take on an idea or reading. The other students in the class all respond to that first student. Once everyone finishes, the first poster has “the final word”, summarizing the discussion. You can cycle who gets the final work each week.