What is Synchronous Online Discussion

This chapter examines ways to support peer-to-peer synchronous discussions that move beyond the basic exchange of information toward complex online intercultural communication. It begins by providing an overview of the affordances and challenges of online communication tools. It then explores how tasks and facilitation protocols were structured into small-group interactions through the lens of a case study in which teachers from Taiwan and the United States collaborated for 13 weeks in an online project, for which a structured facilitation protocol was designed based on a framework from teacher education, the Principled Use of Video. It draws on examples from the teachers' peer-to-peer interactions to highlight ways in which the tasks and protocols elicited intercultural discussions focused on topics of importance to their unique contexts. It ends by summarizing key takeaways with an emphasis on pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research.