Test the list by sending out a message to the class. Make one of the students' first assignments be to post something relevant to the class list. Professor Zapalac had her students do this in her on-line history class. Inform them that you will be sending important messages via e-mail which they will be held responsible for reading before class. One advantage of on-line discussion forums is that they allow a greater number of students to participate in class discussions.
Technology equalizes students to some degree.
Students who cannot attend classes on campus due to physical disablity or distance have equal access to on-line discussions. Of course this access is dependent upon their possession of a computer and access to an internet provider and e-mail account. Some students might find themselves discriminated against due to their class or race. Don Maxwell at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College discusses his first experience teaching an on-line distance learning class. He offers a few thoughts on the advantages the technology offers disabled students based on his experiences with a deaf woman in his class.