This paper explores a middle school teacher's and his students' perceptions of the differences between online synchronous literature discussions and face-to-face literature discussions. Each member of this literature group participated in two face-to-face and two online literature discussions. Participants were interviewed twice to discuss their perceptions of both experiences. From these interviews, the following themes emerged: 1) Shifting Participation Roles, 2) Controlling the Discussion, and 3) Contending with Technological Obstacles to Discussion. The goal of this study is to help teachers who perceive the value of collaboration and social interaction in the learning process see the value of using computer based technologies in their classrooms.