Access becomes a serious issue for conference participation. Adequate hardware, lines, and storage space ease these difficulties. Participation in on-line discussions varies in quantitative and qualitative ways. Faculty need to help students to respond to others and encourage regular participation. Listing course expectations, participation requirements, and protocals as part of the log-in screen helps keep students on track.
Technophobia still exists for faculty and students.
Lack of keyboarding skills as well as lack of familiarity with what the technology can provide are some of the reasons given by participants for minimal participation. Others reasons for low participation might include the habits or comfort levels. The nature of asynchronous communication via a conferencing software system enables all participants to contribute to the discussion. Turn-taking and bids for the floor are not the concerns that they are in physical classrooms. Students who often feel that they don't get the chance to participate in classroom discussions now have every opportunity to do so.