Threaded Discussions and Chat with UM's CourseInfo System

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Threaded Discussions and Chat with UM's
CourseInfo System

• Lunch and Learn Session
• Tuesday, March 28, 2001
• Bill Vilberg, Instructional Advancement Center

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Technologies Available

• E-mail
• Electronic Class Mailing Lists
• Discussion Boards
• Virtual Classroom (Chat Rooms)
• ( available on www.courses.miami.edu)

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Possible Goals

• Written (reflective)
• Time shift (anywhere, anytime)
• Time on task (between classes)

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Student Motivation

• Useful Activity
• Entertaining Activity
• Required Activity

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Plan for Use

• Identify educational goals
• Tell students rules, expectations and evaluation
  procedures (how much, how often, what is
  substantive)
• Provide training opportunities
• Allow for demonstration of technical proficiency

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Plan for Use (continued)

• Begin to use system
• Serve as model
• Provide guidance
• Provide reinforcement
• Use for self-evaluation

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Discussion Board Concepts

• Forum A room with a theme at a party
• Thread A conversation about a topic
• (Threads are within a forum)

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Discussion Board Positive Characteristics

• Threaded discussions
• Transcript available
• Time shifting
• Reduces e-mail
• Public reduces repetitive messages

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Discussion Board Negative Characteristics

• Requires action (pull technology)
• Takes time if lots of posts
• Topics can stray from stated subject

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Standard Forums

• Introductions
• Water cooler
• Course policy and procedures
• Course Topics

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Virtual Classroom Concepts

• Chat room (group instant messaging)
• White board
• Transcript
• Floor

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Chat Positive Characteristics

• Highly interactive
• Group interaction
• Transcript available (on some systems)

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Chat Negative Characteristics

• Typing delays interfere with communication
• Hard to control side comments
• Not good for deep reflection
• Synchronous everyone present at one time

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Keys to success

• Honesty (safety trust)
• Responsiveness (participant interaction)
• Relevance
• Respect (confidentiality)
• Openness
• Empowerment

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Roles Played by Participants

• Knowledge generation
• Collaboration
• Process management

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Essential Team Roles

• Involving role
• Listening role
• Supporting role
• Compromising role

http//ianrwww.unl.edu/pubs/misc/cc351.htmtmr

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Netiquette Sources

• http//www.imaginarylandscape.com/helpweb/mail/pol
  ite.html
• http//www.iwillfollow.com/email.htm
• http//www.albion.com/netiquette/
• http//www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/

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Discussion Board Demonstration

• http//courses.miami.edu/courses/UM101/

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Virtual Classroom Demo

• http//www.courses.miami.edu/
• courses/UM101/

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Threaded Discussions and Chat with UM's
CourseInfo System

• Thank You!