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Instructors need to have a solid understanding of how to facilitate asynchronous discussions.  In my experience I have been both a student and an instructor in courses where the discussion boards were not robust leading to feelings of isolation. These situations increase failure and drop rates, and greatly influences retention and graduation rates in online programs.   It would be ideal to have synchronous components to classes, which many schools are utilizing now, but there are disadvantages to this approach especially for the student that requires maximum scheduling flexibility.   It is also helpful to identify the different learning styles of the students as well as their personalities.  Some will be overbearing and very active while others do little more than lurk on the discussion boards.  It is also vital for instructors to provide timely feedback to the student so they can incorporate that feedback into future assignments and posts.

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