Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks
Two cultures clash a bit when one realizes that the majority of educators (and adults) are probably most comfortable communicating online using asynchronous methods (e-mail and threaded discussions), while most of our students and the majority of young people prefer synchronous communication (chat) which is live and more spontaneous. While each method has its advantages and disadvantages, can these two cultures meet? And for those of us that work directly with students, can we become more comfortable and adept in using a live medium which requires more speed (faster typing), use of shorthand forms of speech (chat talk), and multitasking? And the final question may be, will we have a choice - or like many of the current connections between technology and education (e-mail, Internet, etc.) will we find ourselves expected to make use of this emerging technology?
The most widely used form of synchronous communication is the Instant Messenger phenomenon which has grown enormously. If you have had a teenager around the house in recent years you're probably very familiar with this medium. Because of the sheer numbers of people that are using IM, the tool itself has become more powerful, and offers multiple methods to connect people and share information. In addition to text chat, many IM services offer audio chat (a free phone call), live video exchange, and file exchange. The sophistication and power of this medium will only increase with time. Already some businesses are making extensive use of Instant Messaging technology, which has replaced some of the previous functions of e-mail . Can education be far behind?
Below are a couple of links to online articles which deal with the pros and cons (and the probable future) of real-time communication and Instant Messaging in education.