Online discussion tools provide opportunities for students and instructors to exchange ideas, ask questions, explore different perspectives, and collaborate beyond scheduled class time. Discussions can support critical thinking, reflection, peer learning, and collaborative knowledge-building in in-person, hybrid, and online courses.
At the University of Toronto, instructors can use Quercus Discussions, PeppeR, and Piazza to facilitate online discussions. Each offers different features to support teaching and learning.
Using Online Discussions for Learning
Online discussions can be incorporated into a range of teaching and learning activities. The following approaches illustrate how instructors can use them to encourage participation and support learning.
- Explore course concepts and perspectives. Invite students to respond to open-ended questions, share interpretations, and examine different perspectives on course topics.
- Encourage peer learning and collaboration. Create opportunities for students to ask questions, respond to peers, exchange resources, and work together to develop understanding.
- Support reflection and critical thinking. Use discussion prompts that invite students to connect ideas, explain their reasoning, reflect on learning experiences, or apply concepts to new situations.
- Extend classroom discussions. Continue conversations beyond scheduled class time, allowing students additional time to reflect, formulate responses, and engage with others’ contributions.
- Facilitate questions and problem-solving. Provide spaces where students can seek clarification, share approaches to challenging problems, and contribute to a growing collection of questions and answers.
Online discussions are most effective when their purpose is clear and students have meaningful reasons to engage. Rather than emphasizing the number of posts or replies, focus on how discussion activities contribute to the intended learning outcomes and create opportunities for students to develop and exchange ideas.
Online Discussion Tools at U of T
The following table highlights the potential teaching and learning uses of the online discussion tools available at U of T.
| Tool | Potential Teaching and Learning Uses |
|---|---|
| Quercus Discussions | Facilitate course discussions, encourage peer interaction, and support reflection and collaborative learning within Quercus. |
| PeppeR | Support collaborative knowledge-building, student questions, and sustained discussions around course concepts. |
| Piazza | Facilitate question-and-answer discussions, peer support, and collaborative problem-solving. |
Comparing Online Discussion Tools
The following table compares features available in Quercus Discussions, PeppeR, and Piazza. These differences can help instructors identify which tool best supports their planned discussion activities.
| Features | Quercus Discussions | PeppeR | Piazza |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaTeX / mathematical notation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Liking / reactions | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Private threads / messages | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Folders / subfolders | No | Yes | Yes |
| Favourites / bookmarking | No | Limited | Yes |
| Topic tagging | No | Yes | Yes |
| Manually adding users | Limited | Limited | Yes |
| Participation analytics | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Moderation | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Pinning | Yes | No | Yes |
| Code snippets | Limited | Limited | Yes |
| Anonymous posting | Yes | No | Yes |
| Announcements | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated Q&A features | Limited | Limited | Yes |
| Search and filtering | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Polls | No | No | Yes |
Note: Yes indicates that a feature is supported, No indicates that it is not available as a native feature, and Limited indicates that the functionality is restricted or available through an alternative approach. Features may vary depending on course settings and institutional configurations.
For more detailed comparisons of these tools, consult the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s Compare and Select Your Asynchronous Discussions Tool and the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Comparison of Discussion Board Tools.
Planning and Facilitating Online Discussions
The design and facilitation of online discussions can influence how students participate, interact with one another, and develop their understanding. Clear expectations, purposeful prompts, and ongoing instructor engagement can help create meaningful opportunities for learning.
The following strategies can support online discussion activities:
- Establish a clear purpose. Explain how discussions connect to the intended learning outcomes and what students are expected to gain from participating. Clarify whether discussions are intended for exploring ideas, asking questions, collaborative problem-solving, or reflecting on learning.
- Develop meaningful discussion prompts. Use open-ended questions that invite interpretation, application, analysis, or reflection rather than responses based primarily on factual recall. Encourage students to explain their reasoning, make connections, and engage with different perspectives.
- Communicate participation expectations. Explain how students should contribute, respond to others, and engage respectfully with different viewpoints. Provide guidance on the timing, frequency, and quality of contributions, including how participation will be evaluated if discussions are graded.
- Support accessible and inclusive participation. Review the accessibility features of the selected tool and provide clear instructions for participating. Allow sufficient time for students to read, reflect, and respond, recognizing that students may have different communication preferences, technology access, and participation needs.
- Facilitate and monitor discussions. Establish a manageable approach to monitoring contributions, responding to questions, addressing misunderstandings, and maintaining a respectful learning environment. Instructor involvement can include asking follow-up questions, connecting ideas, or redirecting conversations when needed, without responding to every post.
- Provide feedback and synthesize learning. Highlight important ideas, summarize emerging themes, and identify connections or questions for further exploration. Invite students to reflect on how their understanding has developed through the discussion.
The level of instructor involvement may vary depending on the purpose of the discussion, course size, and students’ familiarity with the activity. Establishing expectations and a facilitation approach in advance can help sustain productive discussions while keeping the workload manageable.