Laurie Berry and Kristin Kowal gave an excellent presentation on how to make online discussions more engaging, taking a traditional discussion prompt and offering different ways to expand upon it.
A pdf of their presentation is included at the link below. While viewing a pdf can’t replicate the experience of attending their presentation, their slides offer numerous discussion examples with a variety of ways make them more personable and interactive.
What are some of your favorite ways of using discussions in your courses?