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Back-channel communication is a secondary conversation that takes place at the same time as a conference session, lecture, or instructor-led learning activity. This might involve students using a chat tool or Twitter to discuss a lecture as it is happening, and these background conversations are increasingly being brought into the foreground of lecture interaction. Digital technologies allow background discussions-which have always been a component of classes, conferences, and presentations-to be brought out of the shadows and, perhaps, incorporated as a formal part of learning activities. Instructors and presenters alike should be aware of this dynamic and the opportunity it presents to add another dimension to learning.

handout (pdf) developed by Educause outlining the basic features of and considerations for using blogs

Google Wave is a web-based application that represents a rethinking of electronic communication. Users create online spaces called "waves," which include multiple discrete messages and components that constitute a running, conversational document. Users a