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Communication
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What is online communication?Online communication is the use of communication technologies to pass and receive information online, facilitating interaction, discussion and communication between staff and students. Online communication can be divided into two categories: Asynchronous: The sender and receiver of information do not have to be online at the same time. Messages and information can be posted, read and replied to at any time. Types of asynchronous communication include discussion boards, e-mail and file exchange areas. Synchronous: This can be described as communication that takes place "live" or in real time, as participants need to take part at the same time. Text-based chat rooms, instant messaging whiteboard applications, and audio and video conferencing can be used for synchronous communication. Group tools are also available which incorporate a mixture of communication technologies to allow small groups of students to meet and work online. What are the benefits for learning and teachingBetter Communication The integration of online communication tools and unit activities encourages increased communication between staff and students, both on and off campus. Tools can be used for making announcements and unit organisation, but also for gaining feedback and opinions, and for class preparation. Students have the opportunity to ask questions at any time, whether to clarify a point made during a lecture or resolve a coursework issue out of office hours. Teachers are able to respond at their convenience, and this process can save considerable administration time. Discussions can be extended outside of the classroom, and instructors moderating class discussions can easily identify issues that may need clarification in a further lecture or seminar. Community Building The use of communication tools is important in the building of virtual learning communities, because there is such a high level of group-based activities and interaction, and increased contact with instructors. The ease of communication can be highly effective in helping to build relationships online, increase support between students, and provides a means of easily exchanging information and resources. Student Motivation and Reflection The format of asynchronous communication such as discussion boards, allows time for reflection before reply, which can lead to more thoughtful and considered responses. The pressure to respond instantly during a face-to-face tutorials is considerably reduced. Having time to reflect on and edit responses not only helps produce better quality work, but it can also be easier for some students to contribute to an online discussion. There is a measure of anonymity and sense of "equality" which can motivate shy or anxious students to offer their opinion, without the fear of interruption or any of the social constraints which may previously have made them less willing to participate. Sharing of Perspectives The use of group and collaborative work online can lead to more cooperative interaction among peers, with the use of group tools to enable group discussion and interaction. Students can meet online at any time, anywhere to work on group projects when it can be difficult to arrange face-to-face meetings, and as previously discussed, students are more often willing to make a contribution to group work online. Sharing perspectives and opinions can lead to a a deeper understanding of materials. Students are able to share not only ideas but also resources, by providing links and attachments to their postings. By including synchronous/asynchronous discussions with guest speakers or experts students are further able to extend their knowledge and participate more actively in a discussion, perhaps by preparing questions or research articles beforehand. Access and Flexibility As well as enhancing methods of group communication and collaboration, online communication enables students at partnership colleges to have greater involvement and participation with all sections of the University, as location is no longer an issue. This can help such students feel more involved in student life as well as allowing them more access to resources and information. Online communication has obvious benefits for the provision of distance-learning and part-time courses, allowing more flexible learning and aiding widening participation initiatives. How do I use an online communication tool?Discussion Boards: Discussions are usually composed of threads, that is the original message and the messages that are a response to this. A thread is usually collapsed and the user clicks a button to see all the replies or expand the thread. Threads are stored in forums, each of which usually has a date/time stamp, title, descriptions, count of messages per thread and of unread postings. Discussion boards can be used for debates, group work, question and answer sessions, or can be kept private between a student and instructor for use as a learning journal. E-mail: Useful for sending private messages and for group projects. File Exchange: This allows staff and students to exchange files by uploading a file from a disk or a computer to a depository. Students can have group access to a file exchange for collaborative work. Chat Rooms: These are particularly useful for community building and collaborative exercises. Users exchange text messages in real time to create online conversation. All users can see all messages posted, but there are usually functions to exchange private messages if necessary, for example between a facilitator and participant. Users can potentially encounter problems associated with with face-to-face discussions (e.g. interruptions, students must participate at the same time). Discussions should be carefully moderated to ensure everyone is able to contribute, and to guide the debate. It can be useful to provide a virtual "seating plan" to indicate the order in which students are to speak. Instant Messaging: Similarly to a chat room, instant messaging allows immediate correspondence between two or more users who are all online simultaneously. It is a useful collaborative tool. Typically, the instant messaging system sends an alert whenever somebody on a user's contact list is online. The user can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. Users can send text messages but can also attach images, audio or video files if desired. Whiteboard Applications: These are "virtual" whiteboards which students can use to draw, type text, paste images, annotate graphics and display websites within a chat room environment, along with exchanging text messages. Audio/video Conferencing: This allows students to hear, watch or participate in a seminar or presentation online. The conference can be one- or two-way, and can add a further level of interaction and discourse to an online course. Blogs: A blog or 'web-log' is a web-based publication of articles or posts, often in the form of a journal or diary containing the opinions and thoughts of the author. Blogs are fully-functioning websites with built-in tools, can be customised by the author, navigated and linked to in the same way as any website. Blogs often incorporate hyperlinks, images, audio and video files. Podcasting: Podcasting describes the technologies used for distributing audio and video files over the internet. Podcasts can be listened to at the computer or downloaded to any MP3 player, and can be subscribed to and downloaded automatically using RSS feeds. Podcasts can be described as audio blogs, as they are often similarly used for expressing the author's thoughts and opinions. Further EDS pages Related Websites 
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