Internet Chat

One way to add variation to a classroom discussion is to hold the discussion in an on-line chatroom.  The use of a synchronous chat client--even when students are actually present in the same room or computer lab--creates a different dynamic from that of the standard classroom discussion. Group work can be performed in chatrooms spawned off of the main chat, and most chat clients include a tool that allows participants to save a record of what was said for later reference (or evaluation).

Standard courseware packages such as Blackboard include a synchronous chat client.  freejavachat.com is one example of a free chat client that can be easily embedded in any HTML page such as a course Web page or wiki.

Instant Messaging

Another alternative is to set up an identity on one of the popular commecial instant messaging systems such as AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, or MSN Messenger.  Many of the students are already familiar with these chat clients and use them regularly, and they allow you to save logs of your chats.