With Net learning, you can put all that aside. The classroom itself is gone, replaced by conferencing software, the most fundamental tool of the virtual classroom. Already several conceptually similar commercial packages are available to do the job. Depending on the software, the class accesses the bulletin board with a Web browser or a specialized program like First Class or Lotus Notes. Think of online discourse as a roundtable discussion during which students have an equal voice.
Students then post answers in reply.
Other students post messages that pick up on points made in those answers. Instead, they typically occur over the course of several days. Each student might check the discussion every other day, read the current comments and then post his or her own thoughts. Time to think That gives students time to consider their comments. Sometimes it provides other opportunities as well, particularly in collaborative projects.