The following information was previously included in a September 2025 teaching resource created by the Teaching and Learning Center.
Teaching Assistants (TAs) play a crucial role in creating dynamic and effective learning experiences for students. In addition to holding Zoom sessions, TAs may be asked to monitor or create discussion boards or other forms of asynchronous online course engagement. Asynchronous learning tools can make it easier for students to ask questions if they are not comfortable speaking up in class and provide students with the opportunity to learn from one another. This resource provides an overview of some of the more commonly used asynchronous platforms at UCLA, with suggestions for how to use them.
Designing Engaging Discussion Boards
Online discussion boards are powerful course communication tools that extend dialogue beyond the live classroom space. They offer students flexibility in engaging with course material and their peers, and also allow for reflection before responding. Discussion boards can also be used in groups smaller than the entire class.
Consider the following guidelines and examples:
- Provide clear instructions and set expectations for responses
- Ask specific questions that can be responded to relatively briefly
- Have students complete a task and report out on the discussion board
- In large courses, consider dividing the students into more than one board
- Vary the structure so that not all discussion prompts follow one model
- Integrate discussions into the course and learning objectives
- Schedule discussion posts strategically
In practice, this might look like asking students to find three sources to support an argument, an example of a theory or definition in the world around them, or to compare media coverage in different countries of a topical issue. Other useful strategies include putting authors or texts in dialogue with each other or posing problems to be solved.
Discussion posts can be due before you meet with the students so that you can build off their findings in class or as part of the culmination of the week’s lesson. Discussion posts can also be used as scaffolded portions in the longer process of an assignment: a way for students to submit pieces of a research paper (post a source or a thesis statement) or to document the design stages of an engineering project.
For more information about how to set up discussion in Bruin Learn and various grading and privacy options see: Discussions in Bruin Learn.
Other Asynchronous Learning, Communication, and Collaboration Tools
Although discussion boards are the most commonly used asynchronous engagement and communication tool, many tools can serve similar functions or otherwise enhance student learning. Examples include annotation tools, collaborative documents, communication, and polling tools. Below are several tools that have been approved for use by UCLA, with descriptions for their use. You may want to consult the instructor of record for your course about which platforms will be used in lecture and/or whether you can implement a platform for your section.
Google Suite
Google tools provide for real-time collaboration and content creation in various formats. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides allow multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously, with their work being automatically saved. These are great for use in breakout room activities, student presentations, collaborating on projects, editing each other’s work, and tracking progress on assignments.
Collaborative Annotation Tools
Annotation tools can be used to foster engagement by allowing students to collectively refine, edit, comment on, or mark up class materials. For instance, students in a literature course could annotate a poem together, while art history students could supply identifying details to a painting. Hypothes.is and Perusall are two collaborative annotation tools available at UCLA that also integrate with Bruin Learn.
Hypothes.is allows you to annotate and comment on any open-access articles available online. Articles need to have highlightable text and cannot be behind a paywall or require a login. Students and teachers can annotate the text collectively in Bruin Learn, with the ability to split annotations by sections (that can be tied to the Bruin Learn roster). No one can edit or delete anyone else’s annotations.
Perusall allows for many types of resources to be annotated, such as uploaded PDFs, text from publicly accessible websites, YouTube videos, podcasts, images, and publisher content. Perusall allows students to upvote comments, flag comments as questions, mark comments as answered, add images and video comments, and share links within the annotations.
For more information and how-to guides, see the following resources:
Hypothes.is resources on the Bruin Learn Center of Excellence (CoE)
Creating Hypothes.is assignments in Bruin Learn
Perusall resources on the Bruin Learn Center of Excellence (CoE)
Introduction to Perusall for Instructors
Consultations
The TLC and other campus teaching support units are available for individual consultations to help you. Request a TLC Consultation or email the TLC directly at gspse@teaching.ucla.edu. All TLC consultations are confidential and non-evaluative.
Resources
Teaching Teams Resource
Bruin Learn Resource (Preparing to Teach)
CEILS Teaching Guide: Engaging Students with Active Learning