Since the dawn of time, students have socialized while working in groups. The Student Portal gives tremendous scope for collaboration, but it also offers another way for students to socialize and waste time. Is it a problem? When is it a problem? How can we prevent it becoming a problem?
If they are 'chatting', they are writing. Allow chatting conditionally (you choose when), requiring students to express themselves using the formal conventions of written English as they would in their regular academic written work. No shortcuts, no emoticons, no slang. Check for that. It could actually improve their writing skills. Certainly they would have to think more before committing words to the 'page'.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that if they are chatting they are writing. The chats that I encounter at the Div III level are purposefully non-academic, they are nonsense words at best and insulting potty language at worst. The solution is that a record be kept of the chat. If we cannot maintain a record that is viewable and achievable at any time than chat should be disabled. The new discussion function is superior to chat.
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