Unit 5 Collaboration

Objectives:
After completing this unit, students will be able to:
1. List the advantages to using an online Chat application for collaborative learning
2. Discuss some of the limitations of using a Chat application

Topic Information:
Many of us are likely familiar with Chat applications. A Chat room is a place where people can write instant messages to each other that are sent and received immediately, regardless of where each person is located. Obviously, it supports collaborative learning but allowing students the opportunity to share ideas and discuss course material without having to travel to a site where they all can be together simultaneously.

Some Course Management Systems, Blackboard among them, provide for an Internal Chat room. This form of Chat room would only be available to people registered for that course. Students can view who else is logged into the Course Management System, select certain individuals among them, and request a Chat. This opens a Chat room window, where everyone participating in the Chat can see who else is participating in the Chat and see what each person is saying.

Advantages of Chat rooms:
1. They are easy to use. Chat participants simply type what they want, hit enter, and see it displayed in the window.
2. It is easy to follow the conversation. Most Chats somehow distinguish the different participants, either with a different font color or their tag name preceding the text.

Disadvantages of Chat rooms:
1. Obviously, the participants must be logged into the application (either the Course Management System or whatever online Chat app is used) at the same time.
2. Chats only allow text conversations. If they want to mutually view a document, either they all need to have it open on another screen on their computer, or they need to use another application.

Discussion:
Post in the Discussion tab one of the following:
1. If you have used Chat rooms in courses before, please share your experiences. Especially focus on what worked, and how you and the rest of the Chat participants managed its use to complete your work.
2. If you have not used Chat rooms before, theorize how you could demonstrate and promote its use for some lesson or exercise in your class. Discuss how you would encourage your students to use it, and what instructions you might give them.
Draw upon other students' discussion posts for inspiration.
Also, comment on at least two other students' posts on this unit.