I teach an online philosophy class and want to know if i would be better to teach it thematically...?

[hmmm]

...well here's the deal, i've been teaching philosophy in a small college here in the midwest for many years now. generally speaking my philosophy classes are pretty well received; i mean, let's be honest, you really need to love your instructor to take an advanced fuzzy logic course with him/her.

anyways, i've started teaching introduction to philosophy online and have noticed a lukewarm response. more of an emphasis on the "luke" part if things if you catch my drift. i think it is because the material is complex and i'm not there with them everyday to reinforce/ incourage/ make things "meaningfull or practical for them. so in essence i was looking for something to make this course more involved.

currently i teach this class in a chronological manner, starting with the ancients of the ancients and moving my way through history... would it be better (for the students) to teach the course thematically. with themes such as: God(s)' existance, True Justice, etc, etc?