Ignore poor spelling. Let participants know that they don't need to be anxious about spelling and grammar while using the chat feature. The time allotted is for idea development and communication rather than editing. Be specific about anticipated outcomes. Make certain participants know specifically what you want them to do and how you want their answers recorded.
Good instructions equal effective exercises.
Let participants reflect on peer responses. It's important for learners to have time to compare and contrast their responses. Then take 30 more seconds to record what you think led her to that decision. Respond in the chat room. The synchronous Web browsing feature on most collaboration tools effectively makes the entire Internet, as well as an organization's corporate intranet, part of the synchronous classroom.