Usually on the discussion boards, we ask the students a question and expect them to answer it. We try to word the questions carefully so that more than mere regurgitation of knowledge is required. But what if we were to go one more step and ask them to actually provide content?

Rather than giving students the examples for analysis, after they have learned about a concept through their textbook and your teaching, ask them to demonstrate their understanding by contributing examples and then analyzing each other's contributions. Here's a sample:

Communication and Design

For our first discussion, please make sure you have read this week's material in the Week One Module of the course site.

Next, think about the terms used in the basic communication model: sender, receiver, message, context or environment, channel or medium, feedback, and noise.

Find a short commercial or video (60 seconds or less) in which you can identify the communication model components. Post 1-2 paragraphs, or post a 1-minute video or audio recording of yourself explaining the commercial in communication terms.