Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
Brandy Milson
Discussion Three Online Communication Tools
University of Houston- Clear Lake
Dr. Rice
November 14, 2010
Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
2
Table of Contents
I. Forms of Online Communication
A. Asynchronous
B. Synchronous
II. Benefits of Online Communication
III. Harms of Online Communication
IV. Ways to Overcome Negative Barriers
V. Conclusion
VI.
Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
3
The last decade has seen some vast improvements in the ways that educators can interact with
their students. Technology has given us an abundance of tools that educators can use to
communicate with their students outside of their classrooms which are low cost and easy to set
up. This increase in access has caused a virtual breaking of the fourth wall in education (a
theatre phrase which means breaking the separation between audience and stage). New
technology tools, as any new invention, has sparked a debate about how much and to what extent
online communication tools should be used with students for educational purposes. The answer
to this question may depend on the grade level, content, and area that you teach. Spring Branch
Independent School District has a fairly open policy with regard to online communication.
Everything posted on a district webpage must haven parental consent and individual actions are
left up to the schools. As all other districts, SBISD has a strict Acceptable Use Policy for staff
and students which makes district guidelines clear on matters of technology. However, while
researching the AUP policy I find no mention of online communication tools. This policy will
continue to expand and contract as technology continues to progress. This discussion seeks to
highlight online communication tools (synchronous and asynchronous), benefits of online
education for educators and students, potential harms of online communication, and ways to
overcome current online communication pitfalls.
Forms of online communication
There are two ways to communicate with students online. The first way, asynchronous
communication, occurs when we interact without time restrictions. In other words, the
discussion does not take place live which allows participants to respond on their own schedule.
Popular forms of asynchronous discussion include forums, discussion boards, social media sites,
social bookmarking sites, using twitter backchannels (twitter and social media can be used for
Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
4
synchronous or asynchronous communication), and blogging. There are several advantages to
asynchronous discussion besides convenience such as time for self-reflection before discussion,
creating an interactive online community, and tracking. Although many of the asynchronous
tools currently available could help teachers create more relevant and engaging classroom
instruction, current district policies and parental/staff attitudes prevent this form of
communication from being used to its full potential.
Synchronous communication tools, such as twitter, chat groups, webcasts, and virtual learning
environment discussions, are growing in popularity in higher education and beginning to be
utilized by K-12 instructors as well. These tools allow you to participate in real time
communication with students or others at a distance which was never possible before. What
started out as chat in DOS programs and on BBS systems, grew into online roleplaying games
such as MOOs and MUDs. It has now progressed to live webcam no delay conversations where
you can share computer screens, documents, and files. With the increase in free tools available
and the decrease in the complexity of technology tools, synchronous tools will continue to
progress. When I first took a workshop four years ago on videoconferencing, I was stunned at
the possibilities and took advantage of as many opportunities as possible. Online streaming
offers a lot of potential for educators of the future. Now, I regularly participate in web
conference workshops freely available from [Link], classroom [Link], and others.
When I first read about the possibilities of virtual reality lectures I was fascinated. This semester
I have participated in all day conference workshops in a virtual lecture hall. I have found that
students like to participate in synchronous computer mediated communication because it is
convenient and holds their attention by activating a number of senses and connecting to a variety
of learning styles.
Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
5
Benefits of Using Online Communication
One of the most important advantages to participating in online communication with students
is the potential for feedback. Often when students send emails they have to wait for feedback
and sometimes there may be multiple exchanges to ensure communication is clear. Online
communication tools can expedite the process, which is beneficial for leaners. Online
communication with students can help build a community of learners which can support and
assist each other as well as interact with instructors. It allows learners to give voice to topics that
they might otherwise not be able to. Online communication tools can also offer the opportunity
to further discuss content from the instruction. This can help learners build a deeper connection
to content which aides in encoding and skill acquisition. Another benefit to online
communication is simplicity. Online communication tools can simplify the process of
distributing information, turning in assignments, and other tasks that we have always done as
educators and students. An often overlooked benefit of online communication tools is the
environmental impact. Many memos and other documents used to be printed on paper that is
long longer necessary. This is not only good for the environment but it is also an economic
savings for educators ,students, and school districts. The final and most important benefit of
online communication tools is flexibility. You can communicate from anywhere and anytime.
In a society where students are asked to perform many roles, flexible learning alternatives are
changing the way that education is perceived.
Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
6
Potential Harms of Online Communication
Depending on the age group that you are working with, the potential harms of online
communication can vary greatly. When working with younger audiences strict monitoring and
parental consent is crucial. K-12 school districts attempt to block content available to students
and teachers by using filtering systems which aim to block inappropriate content from students.
Another potential harm is that students may try to hide behind the veil of technology. This can
work in one of two ways. Some students are comfortable speaking through computer mediated
technology that may be shy or inactive in a face to face setting. Other students may think that
because they are not in face to face situations that they can act inappropriately without
consequences. It is important that educators and students keep in mind that technology is the tool
and not the goal. The final potential harm that I see for online communication is that text lacks
inflection which can lead to miscommunication. It is easier to detect sarcasm, humor, and mood
in face to face environments. When engaging in online communication, unless a webcam is
involved, students and teachers much keep in mind there is no nonverbal action to accompany
what they say.
Overcoming the Negatives
First, we must teach children and their parents from an early age about their digital footprint.
They must be informed that everything we do or say on the internet can remain there
indefinitely. Teaching students and families from the beginning about internet privacy is an
important way to overcome barriers. Besides teaching parents the dangers, we must also teach
them about the potential, the benefits associated with online communication, and the tools which
are geared towards education and age appropriate audiences. Next, we must teach students and
Running head: ONLINECOMMUNICATIONTOOLS
7
parents about monitoring programs. We must try to prevent protectionist practices which
prevent progress and focus on education for teachers, students, and families.
Conclusion
Progress always comes with growing pains. Online communication tools offer numerous
potential advantages for students and educators. While there are reasons to be concerned about
the dangers of the internet when working with students, there are also important educational
benefits that are being prevented by protectionist practices designed by fear. It will be interested
to see how educators make use of online communication tools in the future.