Hi Ali: In an online environment, it's frequently said that each post or response ought to end by asking another question. True or not, engaging students with one another is a dynamic method to keep attention, stay on topic, exchange pertinent and relevant ideas, and openly critique responses while providing encouragement and support for the individual expression. Indirectly, students can feel empowered when they have the courage to speak up and their action validated (not necessarily their viewpoint). For me, it is so inspiring when I see students begin to model my interactive delivery style and model it. When I see they beging to ask questions independent of "an assignment", it demonstrates they are thinking and for me, that's very cool! Rgards, Barry