In class and online: using discussion boards in teaching.

Discussion boards provide instructors a unique opportunity to extend their classrooms into cyberspace. This article offers some observations about student behavior in these online forums and practical suggestions for the instructor, including the creation of rules and structure for the online environment, factors influencing student participation, and strategies for facilitating discussion. Critical concepts for understanding the effective functioning of these online groups, such as confidentiality, the disinhibition effect, and the integration of the online and in-person settings, also are explored.