Core Competencies for Facilitating Asynchronous Discussions

A number of online tools can now be used in courses for group interactions. This article focuses specifically on asynchronous discussion software that allows one-on one and one-to-many interaction, still predominantly text based and independent of time. It remains a useful communication tool because online classes commonly have learners checking in at different times or from different time zones. This discussion tool offers great opportunity to faculty if thought of as “the classroom space,” and skilled facilitation by faculty in these spaces encourages community and interaction not only among class members, but also with content (Bedard-Voorhees, 2005; Dawley, 2007).