The disclosed embodiments provide a system that improves learner engagement in online discussions. During operation, the system selects an experience level for use in moderating answers to a question submitted to an online forum. Next, the system matches the experience level to a first subset of users in a set of potential respondents to the question. The system then improves an engagement of the first subset of users with the online forum by generating output that targets the first subset of users with the question, prior to displaying the question to a first remainder of the potential respondents that does not include the first subset of users.