Help(ing)!

Do you have a help(ing) forum in your online course? It is great to have a place where students can ask any questions they have about the course. When students ask their questions in a public forum, other students can benefit from the question and the answer. It also limits redundant email coming to you. When a help(ing) forum is really working, students answer each others' questions. This empowers students and helps build the community of learners.

Students may need some encouragement to utilize the forum at first. As the instructor, you need to encourage students to use the help(ing) forum as the first place they go to ask their question. If a student emails you a question, redirect it by saying - That's a great question. Can you post it in the forum? Also, encourage them to answer each others' questions. Perhaps offer some extra credit points for enriching the online community by participating in the Help(ing) forum.