Dr. Megan Hanna

A practical strategy for faculty who want to build engaging and meaningful online discussions

Online discussions can easily turn into checkbox assignments. Students post once, reply twice, and move on. I’ve seen it. You’ve seen it. And when that happens, the interaction feels predictable at best, forced at worst.

In this article, I want to share a simple strategy I’m using to make online discussions feel more like real conversations: posting optional prompts early in the week. I’ll walk through what this looks like, why it works for me, and a few types of prompts you can try.

Why optional prompts?

Here’s the idea: instead of requiring students to only reply to two classmates, I give them choices. They can still respond to peers, but they can also respond to me. That could mean replying to one of the optional prompts I post on Monday, or jumping into the thread when I’ve replied to their post (or someone else’s).

This shifts the discussion away from a formula (“reply to two peers”) and toward an actual conversation. It also takes some pressure off students who might struggle to find meaningful ways to respond to classmates late in the week. Optional prompts provide another way in, while still counting as participation.

And for me, it means I’m not just evaluating — I’m present in the forum as a participant. Students see that I’m listening, responding, and engaging with them. That builds connection and strengthens RSI (Regular and Substantive Interaction).

Types of prompts to try

These are just starting points of some prompts you might try in your forum. You’ll want to expand them and make them your own. And don’t feel limited to one per week — variety gives students options and keeps things fresh.

• Reflection starters: Ask what surprised them, what they still wonder about, or how the week’s content connects to their own experiences.
• Application questions: Push students to show how a concept applies in their work, life, or field.
• Media-based prompts: Post a short video, infographic, or article and ask students to respond.
• Low-stakes debates: Invite students to compare perspectives — which approach is more effective, and why?
• Extension prompts: Encourage forward thinking: what question would they add to the next module? how might this topic matter 10 years from now?
• AI prompts: Use AI as a springboard, but keep it grounded. For example, “Ask ChatGPT to generate two perspectives — which do you agree with the most, and why?”

No matter which approach you use, the point is to keep discussions flexible and engaging. Optional discussion prompts give students more than one way to participate, and they allow you to authentically show up as part of the conversation, too. When students have choice and actively engage, the discussion board starts to look less like a checklist requirement and more like a community.

How I make it work

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when using optional prompts in my own online courses:

• Post them early in the week. I usually do this on Mondays, and it helps jumpstart participation so students aren’t waiting until the deadline to get engaged.
• Let students respond to me, too. If I reply to their post or to someone else, they can respond back and have it count as participation. It’s a way to help keep the conversation going.
• Offer more than one option. Variety really does matter — when students have choice, they seem to be more likely to find a prompt that resonates.
• Keep prompts short, but flexible. I often write basic one-sentence starters to get my thinking flowing, but expand on them before posting to clearly relate them to the topic we’re investigating.

What I’ve found important is not the specific formula you use, but the spirit behind it — creating room for choice, variety, and authentic interaction.

Final thoughts

Optional prompts may seem like a small change, but they can open the door to richer conversations. They give students flexibility, invite them to engage with you as well as their peers, and make the discussion board feel less like a checkbox and more like a community.

So here’s something to try: post a few optional prompts next week, jump into the discussion yourself, and let students know that replying to you counts. You may be surprised at how much more alive the conversation feels.

And if you’ve already tried something similar — or have your own strategies for energizing discussions — I’d love to hear them. Share your ideas in the comments so we can all learn from one another. Let’s build onto and keep this great discussion going!

If you’re interested in some more creative prompt ideas, you’re welcome to use this free resource: