Students and tutor should, at the beginning of a module, spend time raising the metacognitive strategy awareness of the participants. Tutors and students should come to mutual understanding and agreement about the style of writing and conventions they will adopt during discussions. Courseroom discussions should be linked either formally or informally with assessment arrangements, and these expectations should be communicated clearly to students. The tutor clearly states the minimal number of postings expected, per student, per discussion. To initiate a discussion, the tutor posts course questions or issues, using concise and clear language.
Students respond directly to the question or issue, keeping their responses short and to the point.
The tutor models how to facilitate virtual discussions. When students feel comfortable with the new medium, student-led discussion should be encouraged. Students should communicate with the tutor via e-mail to make suggestions for discussion topics. The tutor or facilitator should act as moderator of the discussion, guiding individual students if their contributions do not follow the agreed conventions. The tutor should use e-mail messages to encourage participation and positively reinforce contributions made.