While I appreciate the suggestion, I would have to be on the "disagree" side of the argument, for several reasons.
I have strong doubts as to how many advanced Alice users would actually stay logged in to make it worthwhile to help those in need. Being able to scan over posts and make a reply at leisure is a lot easier and more people can bounce ideas off of each other.
There is somewhat of a barrier to entry, in that while there are web-based java irc clients out there, it's still not as easy as posting to a forum (which, sadly, is *still* more difficult than I would like, as I need to have several spammer preventative measures).
IRC cannot be monitored by me unless I am logged in all the time. Since technically these forums are a part of Carnegie Mellon University, I need to make sure nothing is said or done which could lead to a lawsuit.
I really find a forum environment appealing, and while it is not the most helpful for students who need live help with a homework assignment, that's really not the service we provide.
For me personally, with the forums I can take a break from whatever I'm doing a couple times a day and check up on the latest posts and if there's something I can help with, I do. I'm sure I could use my entire day up in a chatroom...but then nothing else would ever get done!
Thoughts?