Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Jason Reekie
When used correctly, online class message boards and forums can be a huge asset. Virtual communication allows students to connect with each other, explore the subject in greater depth, and get feedback on their thoughts.

A recent Campus Technology piece explains the importance of discussions in online learning:

"Conversation has always been at the heart of all learning. Print and books, over the past 500 years, made "conversation" extendable in time and space and built the current world. Now, digital capabilities have taken the Quotation marks away from the word conversation. In this Web 2.0 era, past the print-digital tipping point, we don't have to pretend to have an academic conversation any more ("I'll write a book, you write a review, we'll talk at a conference, you pass it on to your students, and then you write a book . . ."), we can actually have a real conversation with our students."

The author suggests that student conversation be graded based on four factors: the cohesion element (the connection between a post and the larger discussion), awareness of audience, purpose, and diction (word choice). I find that grading online conversations sometimes leads students to write rigid book-like posts. However, if students are taught virtual communication skills and put in an engaging environment, this strategy may be successful.