Stimulating Recall of Prior Knowledge
Cognitive theory tells us that learning is a process of connecting new and unfamiliar ideas with things we already know. For Gagné, the third critical event of instruction is getting learners to summon their existing knowledge.

The easiest way to do this -- online or off -- is simply to ask. Once you've hooked their attention, ask your learners what they recognize or notice. Then wait. Give them a chance to answer. Resist the temptation to tell them immediately what they saw. Give learners a chance to formulate a reply. When people "make language" they are also "making sense" for themselves.

After your learners have had a chance to make their own sense of things, you may step in to ensure that they're headed where you want them to go. Repeat student responses that take the discussion forward, or point out what you want them to see, and use their own words if you can.

Make any such "public" use of student work a positive event for learners. Never hold an individual up for ridicule -- even with their permission -- and go easy even with friendly teasing. Others in the group may worry that they'll be next.

In the face-to-face classroom, we accomplish these things in discussions with students. The classroom exchange is immediate. As feedback, it helps us to adjust our own teaching strategies.

You can give online learners a chance to "make sense by making language." You can obtain feedback from online learners, too.

You can engage in discussion that is either immediate or delayed. Computer conferencing, MUDs and MOO environments, and chat are "synchronous" technologies that all support immediate, simultaneous participation similar to a classroom conversation. Listserv technologies, Usenet newsgroups and Web-boards are examples of "asynchronous" technologies that allow learners and instructors to contribute to and monitor conversations at their own convenience.