Online discussions can extend learning experiences beyond the time and space of the classroom, allowing students more time to process information, and an additional mode of expression for those who are less active in open classroom discussions. They may be especially appropriate for teaching sensitive or controversial subject matter such as oppression and diversity, which is required by the Council on Social Work Education. This study investigated topical themes, depth, and tone of online dialogs in social work diversity courses at two universities in the mid-Atlantic area. Discourse analysis--a type of content analysis--is employed to gain a deeper understanding of the learning experience, and to compare the impact of anonymous and identified participation in the dialogs. (Contains 4 tables.)