Full Circle Associates

Craig Smith offers a cogent article in the recent edition of Innovate, Innovate - Synchronous Discussion in Online Courses: A Pedagogical Strategy for Taming the Chat Beast. Smith calls his protocol "Virtual Class Chatiquette." It is very familiar and is a variant of what I learned from long time AOL chat hosts Sue Boettcher and Eva Shaderovsky in 1997. It is interesting to see this latest reinvention and building upon time-tested online facilitation techniques. I wonder if the folks in education looked at places like the early AOL where chat was the core of the community.

I appreciate Smith's approach that lets the participants act upon the turn taking codes rather than relying upon the facilitator. That is an improvement on the method I've used for years. Whenever we can spread control mechanisms through the group, particularly groups that interact over time, it's a good thing!

Check out the references for the paper - some interesting stuff for those using text chat in the online classroom or any other task oriented setting.

Tags: onlinefacilitation, chat,