Respond to questions with Ed Discussion

I found Ed Discussion useful. In the large applied mathematics class that I teach (>100 students), Ed served as a discussion tool and question and answer tool for students, in a format everyone can see. This was particularly helpful for giving hints and advice about the weekly homework and topics related to the assignments. The latex-like interface helped with typing easy-to-read mathematics formulae.

The teaching staff took turns monitoring Ed Discussion and answering questions. In this way, we were able to provide feedback on the same day a question was asked, if not actually within an hour of the question being asked. I could check in occasionally, and if I thought an answer was unclear, I could easily add further remarks.

Students get to see the questions other students are asking. In particular, for homework, they can all see the hints other students are getting based on the questions submitted to Ed Discussion.”

Howard Stone, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering