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Twenty Five Reasons To Consider Teaching in a Computer Conferencing Environment

Advantages of Computer Conferencing Include:

Efficiency and Convenience

  1. Schedule problems go away. Students can even be assigned to the same student groups even though they may be registered in different course sections. This will expedite the selection of groups that are balanced in terms of gender, experience, education, etc.
  2. More time efficient. No need to call roll. No verbal or social distractions. No waiting for late attenders.
  3. Distance barriers are overcome. Students can work together even though they are in different buildings or even different cities.
  4. Teachers' comfort level maintained. They can continue to teach as they always have, using the conference as an environment for small-group collaborative learning..
  5. Compared with alternative "high-tech" teaching approaches such as televideo, computer conferencing costs much less for the software, the hardware, and instructional delivery. Requires little-to-no support staff.

    Student Motivation

  6. The learning environment is active, student centered.
  7. Pride of ownership. Students help create the information base.
  8. Socialization, personal interactions, and peer pressure motivate students to achieve.
  9. Shy or reserved students are motivated and empowered to contribute and to be "listened to."
  10. Student comfort level goes up. Less rushing, less pressure to perform "on the spot." Students can work at their own pace, at their own best times.
  11. Student participation can be made anonymous, where that is desirable.
  12. Students can be inspired by knowing the labors and insights of their peers. They have a better chance to see the fairness of grading and to see why some students get better grades than others.

    Effective Instructional Delivery

  13. Procedures can be customized for different teaching strategies and learning styles and abilities. Can be combined with face-to-face collaborative learning paradigms.
  14. Students share in evolving an automatically organized information base and share common work areas, making true collaboration more likely.
  15. The same computer environment that mediates student interaction with each other can be used for students to interact actively with computer-mediated instructional materials.
  16. Information is automatically stored in written form. Materials are organized and archived. Students and teacher can have a permanent written record of all work and commentary - computer searchable for later review, study, and update.

    Improved Conditions for Learning

  17. Good computer conferencing software creates work spaces for students to build their own bases of knowledge and understanding. The capability for group interaction enables collaborative learning formats wherein students help each other learn.
  18. Students can learn to read and write critically.
  19. Students must hone their communication skills and clarify their thinking by writing their responses and by responding to the work of "classmates."
  20. Students have ample time to reflect on the problem at hand before interacting in dialogue with their peers. There is time for research, reflection, and integration of facts and concepts.
  21. Slow students have the needed time to do good work.
  22. Students and teachers maintain focus better than in conventional teaching environments.
  23. Personality distractions and conflicts can be minimized.

    Better Assessment of Student Progress

  24. Easy for teacher to know how much each student comprehends. Each student must be actively involved and clearly accountable.
  25. Extent of study participation automatically documented. Underperforming students can't "hide" or get lost in the crowd.