This module was especially insightful for me. I used to focus my attention on synchronous discussions rather than asynchronous because I felt participants usually are not engaged in those kind of discussions, more over, if the participation is not graded. Based on what I have just learn, I am going to design my courses including more asynchronous discussions taking into consideration these recommendations that I understand as critical: 1. Explain clearly the topic and the instructions; 2. Encourage the participation not only with the teacher but also with each other; 3. Provide feedback on each participation; 4. Summarize the key points of the participations; 5. Grade the participations and provide rubrics in advance. Thanks.
