Action:

• Provide a tool for students to ask and answer questions. Include a link to this tool on the syllabus and explicitly encourage students to ask and answer questions. Sakai has a variety of resources such as forums, blogs, chat rooms, and wiki pages. Sakai also provides integration of Piazza, which encourages question asking and answering by allowing students to ask questions anonymously and to answer questions collaboratively in a wiki format. A recent study of Piazza use showed that women were more likely to answer questions anonymously.
• Encourage students to ask and answer questions online by providing a few points of credit for engagement online during the semester.

Reason:

• Students can reinforce their learning and support others. Providing an appropriate tool enables all students to have access to out-of-class help.