Chat is similar to a conference call in which participants communicate by typing. It is usually informal in nature. Chat can be used by instructors to hold office hours, as a
location for guest speakers to present and interact with students,
student group collaboration, online focus group discussions, and as
a place for casual student-student conversation when students happen to
be online at the same time.
Pros
-
real time communication (decisions can be made on the spot)
- works well for holding online office hours (instantaneous feedback, easy access)
Cons
-
participants all have to be at their computers at the same time to participate
- scheduling may be difficult across time zones or with large groups
- conversations become very hard to keep track of if there are multiple conversations at one time
- conversations have a tendency to take more time than in-person conversations
Notes
Be aware of individual writing conventions in chat rooms, e.g., using multiple short statements to convey ideas quickly, use of punctuation to indicate continuance. Consider setting up rules and establishing etiquette for student participation, e.g., how students indicate when they have a question, how to interrupt a conversation, refrain from private or side conversations.
It is possible to archive a live chat. Conversations can be viewed at a later time and students who were not
able to attend can review the discussion. Archiving group collaboration can be useful for group
members and for grading purposes.
MSU Example:
Telecommunication Professor Carrie Heeter's TC841 course
used a chat tool to hold focus groups. The chats were archived. Students
who did not participate in the focus group later analyzed the results.
