April 2002 — Features
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Digital Multimedia & Distance Education: Can They Effectively Be Combined?
Communications Features
There were some synchronous computer-based communications features available on this system, but they were used only occasionally during the semester. A built-in electronic chat feature interested most students because few seemed to have experienced this form of online telecommunication (Veerman et al. 2000). Several discussions were conducted using this text-based system. But it was not as effective a synchronous communications device as the videoconferencing system, primarily because of the extra time it took to type in comments rather than just saying them. Also, text was less personalized than seeing the person on screen.
On those occasions when chat was tried, there were inevitably many tangential comments, and the discussion tended to veer off in unexpected directions. The delays associated with keyboarding resulted in many contributions appearing on screen after the topic had already changed direction. In addition, with this chat feature, I did not have built-in control over who contributed as I did with the videoconferencing, so my ability to lead the discussions was limited.
A polling feature was also available on this system, allowing the class to vote anonymously for multiple-choice questions. An over-all tally of the percentages of who selected each option was then presented, allowing the group to see the breakdown. This feature could be used for informal quizzes or "Jeopardy"-style contests of computer-related knowledge. It also was occasionally useful to obtain feedback from the class about what they would like to see next,how much they already knew about a topic, whether the pace of the class was appropriate, etc. In a situation with so many invisible students at remote sites, this feature can help instructors get to know their class better.
This distributive learning system is designed for regularly scheduled college courses, wherein students are expected to attend at the assigned times and the primary mode of communication is synchronous. But the asynchronous capabilities of the system can be used effectively in a supplementary fashion as well (Soo and Bonk 1998). Because Web access was available, I provided some class materials on the Web, and e-mail was used extensively during the course.
E-mail was an important communication tool. Not only was it convenient, but it served as a private one-to-one means of communicating that was not possible in any other way, given the "public" nature of all exchanges on the videoconferencing system and chat lines. E-mail also allowed for an efficient submission of assignments and evaluations. Stu-dents indicated on the survey that having course materials like syllabi, assignments and lesson materials posted on the Web was helpful for them. But there was also a printed packet filled with supplementary course materials, as well as two commercial texts.
Students also indicated they still appreciated the convenience of having a hard copy of class materials. And given the greater ease with which directions on a hard copy could be read while working on an application with printed lesson material was particularly helpful for working on computer assignments, as opposed to dealing with the awkwardness of reading two sets of materials in different windows on the screen.
