Tried and true 'instincts', honed in years of teaching experience, are not necessarily directly transferable online. There is a radically different tempo of communication and an absence of the visual, audio and tactile cues that we take for granted in our everyday teaching. Student passivity or 'silence' is difficult to interpret. The meanings of these silences have to be actively sought. The social, non-academic aspects of teaching take on a heightened importance online.
Teachers have to work hard to develop a sense of community in their online groups.
There is a need to develop an online 'voice' or persona, and to use language thoughtfully. This is critical to establishing a welcoming, 'safe' environment that encourages students to contribute to discussions that are written, and may therefore be invested with more gravity than is the case with speech. When asked if I would convert an existing postgraduate unit so that it could be taught online, I jumped at the suggestion. I remember thinking that it would be an easy task since the unit I intended to convert already ran successfully. And anyway, I had meant to learn something about online technology.