What is an Online Social Community?

The nightly online social community gives the students a chance to chat with fellow classmates and the instructor.  An online social community is a virtual group of people that interact by online social networks or instant messages rather than face to face. (Preece) This opportunity will help answer questions they might have as they work on homework and projects. Online communities mean different things to different people.  For some, it conjures warm, fuzzy reassuring images of people chatting and helping each other.  For others, it generates dark images of conspiracy, subversive and invasion of privacy. (Preece, 8-9) Communicating via the Internet is no substitute for actual human interaction.  But online communities do enable meaningful communication among people separated by distance, time and to some extent culture.  Also it could give students the opportunity to ask question in a more comfortable environment. 

I give the students the option to be involved in the online community; it is not a mandatory part of class.  Online chats are similar to telephone conversations, except they use text.  I have experimented with two different online communities.  First, iChat (www.apple.com/macosx/features/ichat.html) is a piece of software that collaborates Mac and AIM users.  Ninety-percent of my younger students have AIM accounts and use them regularly. With iChat there are some exciting capabilities, such as taking control of the users screen. For example, if I am chatting online with a student about how to correctly crop a photo, I could see and control their screen and visually show them how to a process.  This also could help with online tutoring programs as well.  The second online community I have tried is Skype (www.skype.com), which besides typing conversations has the capability of using voice and video.  Skype has become very popular recently being used on such shows as Oprah and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  Also Skype is great to communicate for distant learning classes.  On Blogger, there is a gadget that can be put on the page that is a direct like to “skype” someone.

My younger students have chatted online with me and have been successful.  However my adult students have not shown any interest.  None of them have AIM or Skype accounts and have families and home life that come as a nightly priority. One student asked, “Who has time to chat online?” Millions of people are chatting daily, and I believe that, as educators we should take advantage of this new media form and motivate our students to do so.  I am not saying that online communities are better than face to face but it can be used as a tool for students who need extra help, advice, and communication in general.  The usability and sociability can be helpful in helping with younger students. More research has to be done to examine how to get older students more involved.  

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