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As Computer Science (CS) educators, we are involved in teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses such as database management systems, networking, software development and web development courses. In addition to the traditional classroom environment, we use online and blended teaching methods to enhance student participation and improve the achievement of learning objectives. Typical online supplements to classroom instruction include posting homework, links to external resources, lecture notes and exams online. Asynchronous discussions and synchronous chat sessions provide additional forums outside the classroom for strengthening interaction and enriching the learning experience for students. This paper focuses on how asynchronous discussions can be used to enhance student participation in CS courses; increased participation leads to learning effectiveness, rich involvement with the course content, and student satisfaction.

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This paper discusses the experience of using asynchronous online discussions obtained by a group of faculty teaching graduate computer science courses online. We also discuss a number of advantages of using asynchronous discussions and how they can enrich the learning experience of students. This is followed by a collection of our practices in course management when online discussions are used. The paper is concluded by a case study describing how online discussions were used in a Data Warehousing course offered to graduate students online.