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SCAILAB
- Student Computer Aided Instruction Lab
| Chat
Options |
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Chat Options
Multi-user chat discussions can be an exciting and helpful component to classroom
activities. While they are generally not intended to completely replace face-to-face
discussions, text does offer a number of advantages:
- Presence is determined by participation, so students are encouraged to speak
up.
- Written responses often are more thought-out than ones spoken off-the-cuff,
so more in-depth discussion can result.
- Students who would tend to be quieter in class often speak up more in a text-based
format, and through the course of the semester they are more likely to speak up
in face-to-face discussions, since they feel more comfortable with the group.
Women, minorities, Asians, the shy--anyone who typically defers to authority--often
feel more comfortable joining in online discussions. Thus, integrating virtual
discussions with face-to-face ones can lead to more active participation on the
part of all the students, as a greater level of ease is developed in the class.
- In most cases, a transcript or log is available of the discussion, allowing
instructors to see who said what and how much, as well as giving students a record
of the discussion for later use.
The ideal size for virtual discussion varies, though in most cases (all except
CourseInfo) it is possible to break students into smaller groups for manageability.
Generally, instructors have found that numbers between 4 and 8 participants for
smaller discussions are good, though some activities can be done in pairs or even
with a dozen or more. Keep in mind that the more members a discussion has, the
more active it is likely to be, and those students who are less adept at typing
can feel overwhelmed as everyone else's comments are scrolling by.
DIWE InterChange
Daedalus Integrated Writing Environment includes a suite of programs designed
to enhance collaboration in writing projects and interaction between students.
InterChange is one particular program which allows instructors to set up one or
more chat rooms for group discussion.
- Located on SCAILAB's network and accessible from any of SCAILAB's computers
(not just the ones in the classroom labs).
- Allows for a number of discussions to take place simultaneously, and it is
possible not to close discussions, so classes can pick up again where they left
off last period.
- Transcripts can be saved to disk and then printed, arranged either in chronological
format or by speaker.
- All files are saved in the network as .txt files, so instructors and students
can have access to sessions (completed or in progress) outside of class time.
Disadvantages
- Commands like cut-and-paste are limited. You can cut and paste from outside
the InterChange and your unsent comments but not from the ongoing discussion.
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CourseInfo
CourseInfo is a Web-based integrated software system, so it allows instructors
to set up entire courses on-line. Its major advantage is that it allows instructors
to set up their courses on-line without needing to know HTML. If other aspects
of this system are being used in the course, it can be very easy to incorporate
this mode of chat.
- Located on UIC's network and accessible from any computer with a Web browser
and Internet access.
- Local environment, so all variables are controllable.
- User-friendly interface, based on point-and-click interaction. In set-up,
you can cut and paste information directly from a word processing document.
- Provides free space for student projects without commercial advertising.
- Versitile format, allowing "slides" to be set up for class presentations--Web
pages or even diagrams drawn on the spot to be shared with students.
Disadvantages
- Commands like cut-and-paste are not available in chat.
- Lag (long waiting periods between typing in a command and seeing it appear
on the screen) can be a problem.
- No way to save transcripts or logs of discussions.
- Students cannot be broken into small groups for discussions.
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Virtual Classrooms
Virtual classrooms such as SCAILAB's own SKYMOOn at UIC or LinguaMOO at UT Dallas
allow any number of individuals to participate in real-time discussions inside
a text-based virtual reality while engaging with pre-programmed interactive objects.
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enCore Xpress
This is a graphical interface available on educational MOOs such as SKYMOOn using
enCore, which was developed by LinguaMOO's owners. It is set up like a Web page,
allowing for point-and click interaction, as well as images to be used, which
is not possible on most MOOs.
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Accessible via any Web browser, so no software download is necessary.
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Familiar browser interface with clickable buttons and menu bars
is user-friendly for novices.
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Easily formatted color and images in rooms and descriptions
liven up pure text.
Disadvantages
- As with all Web-based systems, connection speed and how busy the server is
can cause lag.
- Buttons and menus make it less flexible than a standard telnet client for
the experienced MOOer.
- Multiple browser windows open occassionally, and text which appears on both
sides of the screen can be distracting and confusing.
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Pueblo
Pueblo is a popular program for accessing MOO telnet sites. While there are other
MOO clients available, Pueblo is the one that is available on UIC computers, including
SCAILAB. If you want something for your home computer, you can download Pueblo for free, or you can search on-line and sample many different clients to find one you like.
- Past commands are stored in the input window and are easily repeatable.
- Each command is echoed in history window, so it is possible to check for typos,
etc. if something does not work, and one can easily locate a formerly used command
which does work without trial and error.
- Cut and paste capability in any window to any other.
- Active, clickable links signaled when text begins with "http://"
which automatically launches a Web browser when clicked.
- Faster than a Web interface.
Disadvantages
- No tech support. The company which owns the program no longer distributes
it, so no official help is available if you run into any problems.
- Client is not integrated with the MOO itself, so users are "on their
own" to learn commands. While most MOOs have help systems and the program's commands are not difficult, they are not
as intuitive as with a Web interface.
- No colored text or images, unless programmed in the MOO itself.
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