Learning occurs when students engage in discursive processes that include actively considering the comments and perspectives of others, allowing for interpretation and explanation of the topics being discussed (Gillies). Teachers should "resist the urge to turn close reading into an independent activity. The point of close reading is to foster extended discussions about a piece of text" (Fisher and Frey 18). In short, classroom talk itself is the vehicle for which new learning can be achieved, not just by which it is shared. Linking discourse to close and careful reading, this study explores how moving a face- to- face seminar into an online environment may change students' ability to answer in ways that demonstrate text dependency.