The Use of Digitally-Mediated
Communication
Digitally-mediated communication (DMC) describes the process that's taking place right now as you read this message. Every time we send or receive a digital message, we're taking part in DMC. To me, and others, the Internet is all about communicating with individuals or groups. The most widely available method for DMC on the 'Net is still through text, but the expansion of multimedia capabilities such as Skype and FaceTime will continue. By looking at the positive and negative aspects of this mode of communication, we can all find ways that DMC could be intelligently incorporated into our communications.
Sometimes professionals suggest they don't need computers in their work--that it is irrelevant for their domain. This is definitely NOT TRUE! As you will see in the suggestions below, there are lots of applications that go way beyond the "text-based" communication. Even if you only used the Internet for professional communication (with peers and other students) and resource gathering (there are a lot of free resources in Internet archives), you should see the utility of using the Internet as a professional. It's not eroding literacy, it's developing a new kind of literacy.
While I hope by this point we've already delved into this issue a bit with a discussion in class and on our moodle discussion group, I wanted to write a separate lesson to explore these possibilities and note some useful resources. This lesson will consist of several scenarios where DMC may be of use and a short bibliography. I will draw my examples from the domain of teaching and learning (the area about which I know the most), but with very little effort, I think we can translate these ideas into any professional domain we can imagine.
Case One: Using Email to Facilitate Class Discussion
This is, perhaps, the primary current use of email in a class setting. The ideas behind holding electronic discussion sessions to complement a live lecture class are threefold. First, there may not be enough time in class to hold discussions. Second, some students may feel too intimidated to hold forth in a live discussion. Third, live discussion sessions often don't give students adequate time to make a thoughtful response. An email discussion group solves these problems by providing an additional outlet for discussion that is non-threatening to the shy user and accommodates delays for reasoned responses.
Case Two: Using Email for Advising, Tutoring, and General Questions
This use of DMC, whether by students in an teacher's class or those s/he advises or tutors, gives the student quick, private access to an teacher without the two having to physically meet. It allows teachers, if they wish, to respond quickly to student questions by regularly checking their email. Students gain the sense that they can always get a hold of the teacher, particularly if the teacher checks their messages often. Questions of a general nature can also be answered via a class discussion group so that the instructor does not have to repeat the answer to several people. Students can notify teachers when they will be absent and/or request missed learning materials. The instructor can also easily contact individual students as needed. Regular reading of mail by all participants in such a situation makes for assured communication on all sides.
Case Three: Using CMC in Assignments
Teachers can try a number of different ideas to use email to enhance communication and learning. Some suggestions:
Case Four: Using Email for General Announcements
This is quite similar to Case One and could be done in conjunction (as could all of these cases). Examples of this use by instructors are as follows:
Some Positive Factors of DMC
Some Negative Factors of DMC
Conclusion
DMC is certainly not something to use without planning and proper preparation. The cases and merits I mentioned above should, however, give you some idea of the positive outcomes of this method of communication.
Our own class, by the by, is an example of partial DMC instruction. While most think of DMC in conjunction with live learning activities, it need not be in this format. The possibility of classes "remote in space and time" is very real. Distance learning at least is a prime opportunity to experiment with DMC as a means for instruction.
How effective is DMC, and is it truly beneficial? These questions can best be answered by those who have attempted it, and most are positive. Only by more rigorous examination can "proof" be obtained. A recent U.S. Department of Education study suggested "Blended is Best," meaning that both DMC and face-to-face interaction lead to the most positive outcomes.
There are many other articles and books available on these topics. A subscription to free magazines such as Technological Horizons in Education Journal (a.k.a., T.H.E. Journal), Tech and Learning or others might be an inexpensive way to keep up in the field. I have review copies of these magazines (and several others) shelved in racks in room SVE 3 (next door to my office). Media and Methods, Educational Technology, Technology and Learning, and Electronic Learning are some other magazines in this area which you can examine. The Augsburg Library subscribes to several of these. You may wish to check out these magazines as well. Most of these magazines also have electronic versions such as Tech and Learning.
I am, if it isn't too obvious 8-), extremely excited about DMC and its use in teaching. How does it for your domain and style? Only you can say. I hope that this lesson has introduced you to the subject and given you some points to ponder. If you are interested in discussing this issue or are thinking of experimenting with it yourself, please contact me or post something to our moodle discussion group.
Happy Netting!
Internet Lessons version 2.0. Copyright of lessons (C) 2011 by Joseph A. Erickson, All Rights Reserved. Permission Granted for Individual Usage.
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