I have always hated Internet chat rooms and studiously avoided
them. To me, they are chaotic, confusing, and frustrating. I have
also accepted the fact that on this question I am probably in the
minority. The immediacy of chat can be a significant factor in
building online community. Short of high bandwidth audio/video
conferencing, it is as close an approximation to face-to-face
interaction as you will get in an online course. This seemed to be
particularly the case in my graduate courses where the
give-and-take of open discussion in a seminar format was the
typical approach to learning. Consequently, I decided to include a
virtual class in the course.
These chat sessions, however, were initially less than satisfying
for everyone because of the typical pattern of multiple
conversations occurring simultaneously. The sense of community and
connectedness was overshadowed by frustration. I wanted to have the
opportunity to interact with the students in a more spontaneous
manner while still retaining some semblance of order that would
replicate a seminar-type environment. To make the course more
manageable (and for me, bearable), I therefore devised a protocol
for virtual classroom etiquette, or "chatiquette", based on
research on classroom discourse and conversational turn-taking.
A facilitated
approach
Course management systems such as Blackboard continue to develop
increasingly sophisticated tools that provide greater control over
chat sessions. However, these controls require the instructor to
grant or deny access repeatedly for each individual as he or she
signals the desire to participate. As a result, instructors
typically spend much of their time acting as traffic cop rather
than fully participating in the discussion. This moderated approach
may be very effective when the intention is to have a very
formalized and structured interaction, for example, a lecture
session in which student responses are allowed for the purposes of
clarifying information. However, the use of such CMS moderation
tools in a less formal, seminar-type interaction may become
burdensome and stifling to the discussion. The other end of the
continuum is an unmoderated approach that allows all participants
to be active users and to comment freely at any time. This approach
is customarily recognized as chat.
The following protocol offers a bridge between the free-for-all
approach of unstructured chat and the constrained interaction that
may occur with CMS virtual classroom tools. The protocol allows all
members to participate in the exchange without the need for one
member (the instructor) to assume control of the interaction. Nor
does it require additional equipment or expense for students that
the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and video
conferencing technologies entail.
Chatiquette
Virtual classroom chatiquette is a way of fostering the courtesy
and respect expected in a group conversation. It provides overt
signals that represent the signals used in conversation in a
classroom. If a participant wants to participate in the discussion,
he or she can "raise a hand" by entering an exclamation point or a
question mark to signal his or her desire to comment or ask a
question related to the current topic. If a participant wants to
change topics or ask a question on a different topic, he or she can
enter "new!" or "new?". Everyone can observe the sequence of
participation and respond accordingly. Turn-taking signals can be
entered at any time just as a raised hand might occur in a
classroom, and the participants can monitor the order of requests.
The following guidelines are provided to the students as part of
the course syllabus. While some of these guidelines might not be
necessary for all graduate students, particularly those who have
prior experience with chat in online or hybrid courses, they are
meant to be easily adopted by instructors and students at various
levels of education.
1.) At the beginning of each online chat session, the instructor
will clear any prediscussion messages and make an introductory
statement. Participants should wait until discussion is invited
before interjecting comments.
2.) When participants have a comment or question, they should type
"!" for a comment or "?" for a question.
3.) Participants should not type all of their comments before
entering it. They should type a clause, phrase, or sentence
fragment at a time and then press enter, so that the group does not
have to look at white space while typing occurs. This allows the
idea to unfold before the group.
For example:
John: When you are attempting to establish
John: a therapeutic relationship
John: it is important to use
John: nonverbal signals that convey empathy and support.///
4.) When the complete idea is entered, three forward slash marks
(///) will indicate to the group that the next participant may
begin. For example, "... therefore, we must conclude that Freud
was hopelessly insane.///"
5.) Those wishing to comment may ask for the floor by typing "?" or
"!" at any time. The first person to enter a "?" or "!" will have
the floor to make his/her contribution. In this way the instructor
will not have to call on the next participant. Everyone will be
responsible for maintaining the flow of conversation.
(Alternatively, the principle may be that those wishing to comment
may request the floor by typing "?" or "!" at any time. The
instructor will then call on the first person who entered a
request.)
6.) If a participant wishes to change the topic of conversation,
this is signaled by typing "new?" or "new!". If no one objects by
typing "!" or "?" and proceeding with the present topic (in other
words, if there is silence), then the participant may proceed with
the new topic.
7.) The fact that the discussion is not taking place in each
other's presence does not excuse rude behavior. There will be no
flaming (i.e., personal attacks or crude language in class
discussion). Separate, private chats during the discussion are the
equivalent of passing notes and are also unacceptable. Participants
are encouraged to challenge other participants' comments in a
manner that enhances critical thinking and analysis of the course
material.
8.) Online chats conducted independently by class members are not
subject to these guidelines. However, participants are encouraged
to be polite and respectful in all milieus connected with this
course.
It is advisable to have a practice session or allow a few minutes
at the beginning of the course's first virtual class to allow the
members to become familiar with these guidelines.
Last
word
Online instructors, particularly those who have recently begun to
incorporate online components in their teaching, have good reason
to feel concerned about the potential for chat sessions to become
less than productive in their courses. However, the protocol of
virtual class chatiquette may serve as a helpful tool as they seek
to tame the chat beast in their online courses while still ensuring
that synchronous communication maintains the immediacy and vitality
that is often lacking in asynchronous communication. Although I am
still chat room avoidant, these guidelines helped me to overcome my
fears and utilize such technology more effectively and productively
in my own teaching.