Communication Range Reduced

With computer-only communication as it was organized for our 103 class, communications are limited to two modes--asynchronous Web pages and e-mail media, and synchronous conferences. Telephone calls occasionally come into play, but not on a regular basis.

In our DE course, the most developed and focused exchanges resulted from real-time discussions of writings, both assigned textbook pieces and students' own drafts.

But with bare-bones text only communication, lapses do occur--often as a result of the lack of metalinguistic cues available face to face. Especially in real-time communication, rapid typing and the constraints that chat programs put on the normal flow of conversations mean that the teacher must strain to understand what a student is getting at. But insofar as this condition forces teachers to listen carefully to students, it may ultimately prove to be an advantage.