I’ve learned that I much prefer an asynchronous discussion, as I think this works well for my students too. This type of environment is designed to be more of their responsibility and an “anytime, anywhere” experience. I believe it also gives my students time to research on a topic, rather than be nervous or stressed out trying to be on a live (synchronous) discussion. As I know from experience, there can be disadvantages to this type of discussion as well. Such as; students procrastinating and not staying on top of their work.
