Discussions in the F2F classroom take place primarily in real time, or synchronously. We instructors (hopefully) facilitate these discussions with the ease that comes from a lifetime of practice with synchronous chat, starting in our childhood at the dinner table. Discussions online can be synchronous via chat (IRC) or coincidental posting experiences in discussion boards. Most communication is asynchronous, however, meaning students read and send messages at various times, over an extended time period. A student will post an idea, and a few hours or days later someone will respond. The mechanics of online communication are not native to our human experience unless we have grown up with digital communication (or were prolific pen pals as kids). Online discussions require some careful planning and consideration, but there are some advantages that we should recognize: Students are actively expressing their thoughts and ideas in a public realm (at least among their peers) and the op...
Musings from an online instructor