In an inquiry-based discussion, learners take responsibility for their learning, create meaning in a group, and learn from the group. In a physical classroom, instructors can model moderator and discussant skills and have learners practice those skills in the presence of the instructor. Using a stop-action approach, instructors can stop the…

Online learning discussion formats provide an opportunity for learners to share their experiences, negotiate meaning, and take ownership of the subject matter. Chat rooms also provide learners with anyplace and real-time ways to participate in academic discussions. Shared understanding occurs when individual experience mediated through group…

This article discusses how three assistant professors have worked to address the challenges their undergraduate and graduate students are facing as a result of changes made to distance learning in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many educators, they were faced with decisions regarding synchronous or asynchronous instruction. The authors…

Online distance learning has become increasingly common as a teaching method in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs around the world. As this trend continues, higher education consistently integrates more and more complex technology into the learning process. Typically, online learning takes either a synchronous or asynchronous approach…

As educators continue to explore the world of online teaching and learning as higher education instructors, it is essential that they ensure that the elements that create strong learning environments, the engaging conversations, the ah-ha moments, the laughter as they connect to content and one another, be ever present. Research on effective…