The instructor’s office – This is your virtual office where you can post announcements or reply to questions. Since this will be a public forum (one all students can see), having them post questions to this forum can save you time. You answer a question once rather than in several individual emails.

Student lounge – This is a forum for “off topic” discussions, things students wish to discuss not directly related to the course. It can also be used to “shift” a discussion that has strayed from the topic and is no longer an adequate educational tool for the objectives. You can ask the participants to take the discussion to the lounge. In this way it provides an outlet, but keeps the topic forum “uncluttered” and focused on course goals. Some classes use this forum a great deal, others hardly at all. It’s a good idea to establish it “upfront” in case you need it.

Private forums – These forums may be useful under certain conditions for a variety of reasons. Private forums can only be seen by those students assigned to them by the instructor. They can be used by students to post assignments and for facilitators to provide feedback. They can be used by the instructor and student to discuss problems, individual private issues. They can be used to provide encouragement, and make notifications. They also serve as a “meeting spot” for collaborative group assignments. Make sure to add yourself as a member in all private forums.