Responding to the need for learning to remain engaging and productive while classrooms have moved online, a qualitative study was conducted to gain greater insight into the use of asynchronous online discussions as a replacement for their in-class counterpart. Specifically, the researchers aimed to gauge student responses to their use of the devil's advocate role and its learner-centred and potentially confrontational processes in a region where such practices might be contrary to traditional educational values. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were undertaken with fourteen students from a university study program conducted in English. Results of a thematic analysis indicate that asynchronous online discussions and the devil's advocate role can be successfully adopted amongst such students, though attention should be paid to some design considerations. This study adds to the current literature by investigating a yet understudied discussion facilitation role and its interaction with cultural values and is useful for those designing online courses in Asian region contexts.