For the past two semesters I have been using Discourse for my class discussion board. I started using it mainly due to the restricted nature of Canvas’s built-in discussion boards, which are terribly designed for actual discussion. Using Discourse, I’m able to have real conversations with my class, and my students are encouraged to interact with each other.

I recently gave a presentation at UNO’s Digital Learning Showcase on how I use the discussion board in class to create a community and the many ways it’s better at fostering engagement in my online classes compared to the kinda terrible built-in boards on Canvas. Check out my slides below.