Hi!
I've seen some instructors create a discussion board that is dedicated to this, and it works well to connect course participants. Some instructors even go as far as posting a question each week, something that is about the PEOPLE in the course and not the academic content. (The featured discussion could be pinned at the top of the Discussion list or added as a shortcut from the home page.)
Another option, if it's for collecting contact information is to share a collaborative spreadsheet and link tot hat from the home page or from an assignment at the beginning of the class without a submission. students could share what they'd like and then have a resource to review throughout the term.
There are many options -- it'll be interesting to see what others suggest.
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