What I like best is I can fully participate in all class discussions without an interpreter or note taker. All conferences are text-based, which poses zero problems/barriers for me. In fact, this is the very reason I chose UMUC; many other institutions offering classes at a distance—whether online or not—had some sort of video and/or audio component. Rather than try to work out accommodations with the institution, I found it easier to stick to a text-based format.
I find it difficult when students and/or instructors do not express their thoughts clearly when they write, which can lead to miscommunication, misunderstandings, and the need for constant clarification. In the online classroom, class participation can be measured and is part of the overall grade. I had a hard time with this initially because I was not used to raising my hand in class; it wasn't that I didn't know the answer or didn't have something to contribute—it was that the moment had passed or I didn't understand what people were talking about. In the online classroom, I don't have those problems. What keeps me from participating now is often a lack of time, not shyness or an inability to understand.