Title: Exploring the affordances of online chat for learning

Authors: Chee-Kit Looi

Addresses: Learning Sciences and Technologies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore

Abstract: Text-based interaction is one of the frequently used modes of computer mediated communication connecting users via computer networks. Text chat has been and is still an important technology component of online distributed learning environments where students communicate synchronously amongst themselves and with other learning partners such as teachers and experts. Text chat provides several affordances that make it an effective medium for useful online interactions, despite its limitations and the advent of newer technologies like avatar or graphic chat, audio and video conferencing. In this paper, we explore the properties of online text chat, and discuss the limitations and problems of conversations supported by the chat medium. We discuss ways of making the conversations better, enabling more natural and coherent conversations, facilitating conversations with a learning nature, providing aggregate views of chat conversations, and providing chat participants with a social sense of the context or the dynamics of the conversation flow. We review work on technological innovations that support, analyse, and visualise chat conversations.

Keywords: computer-mediated communication; online text chat; online tools; learning conversations; scaffolding online discussions; online chat; online learning; online conversations; virtual conversation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLT.2005.006520

International Journal of Learning Technology, 2005 Vol.1 No.3, pp.322 - 338

Published online: 18 Mar 2005 *

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