What if class were like a chat
This is right out of my eTech presentation.
If you have ever taken an online class with a chat component, the video should ring true. Here are the points I made about chats in online classes.
ChatsÂ
- Inefficient
- Difficult for instructor to control
- Difficult for students to follow
- Painful if you type slow
I have never been in a chat that didn’t take three times as long as any other method of interaction. The quality of the conversation is usually poor because everyone is trying to reply as quickly as possible.
I am part of an Elluminate pilot at UF. It is an expensive alternative, but the closest thing I’ve seen to a virtual face-to-face class. It even works well from a dial-up connection.
Thanks to Buzz Dyer for taking the leading role in my chat video.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:27 am
[...] Alvin Trusty recently pointed out the inefficiencies of synchronous chat rooms in online courses. The social protocol of the chat room does not always lend itself well to serious discussions. In a chat, people are constantly entering and leaving. Some people try to monopolize the conversation by responding to every comment made. Others take the discussion off-topic by following tangents. The result can be a confusing thread of thoughts which accomplishes little and frustrates everyone involved.While text chats can have their place (they work well as a supplement to an audio discussion, for example), I can see his point. I’ve always favored the asynchronous discussion (message board) approach, because it encourages people to reflect more on what they have to say. They’re not hindered by the immediacy of the moment. Sure, the discussion takes longer, but the product is a lot better. [...]
May 21st, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Think about what the teacher is trying to do: Give a prepared lecture in a chat without setting down the ground rules.
A teacher sets the ground rules in a classroom. Why not in a chat?
And why lecture anyway? All the information should have been distributed beforehand in a forum or wiki.
So is the problem the technology or the instructor?
–Elizabeth Hanson-Smith
http://www.geocities.com/ehansonsmi
May 21st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
The teacher is trying to answer an impromptu question asked by a student. In a chat something as simple as answering a question can be painfully difficult.
Students are notorious for not playing by established rules, especially when they are outside the classroom. The chat environment is impossible control if a student chooses to act as demonstrated in the video.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
[...] Buzz is a real inspiration to me. He is a retired superintendent that has a working understanding of technology. That is an unusual combination. [...]