Source: http://www.atimod.com/e-moderating/5stage.shtml Tips for on-line facilitation A consistent and attentive schedule for addressing questions online should be established early-on in the activity Frame comments and contributions as question in order to foster responses and reactions Reflect questions back upon the other participants Suggest that relevant participants work together on an issue Always treat all divergent opinions equally, intervening if destructive disagreements seem to be forming Use friendly and supportive language in individual and group communications Acknowledge contributions and new ideas individually to participants. This will support their continued work and create an element of personal connection that will be rewarding React rapidly so participants do not feel neglected Model effective on-line behaviour by validating points and comments and including links to more relevant information, or proof for certain statements. This will eventually build-up a resource rich with content from diverse places. Create a separate working space for informal discussions and exchanges, while clearly indicating the expectations and purposes of all the platform components Make sure to have an FAQ or discussion forum devoted entirely to technical questions. It should address common issues and respond to concerns in a timely matter to prevent participants from becoming discouraged and abandoning the platform Take into considerations cultural diversity in the online environment66
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http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2010/07/cultural-competence-in-online.html
