Getting reactions

To get spontaneity, people need to interact in real time, in face-to-face encounters, video or audio conferences, chat rooms and elsewhere. Some years ago David Newman studied how students discussed controversial issues online and in face-to-face seminars. It turned out that discussion forums helped people link ideas together and justify them. But to get new ideas, people needed the stimulus of instant responses in real time.

So if you want considered deliberation, use discussion forums or ideas mapping software. But to get instant engagement, excitement, and spark off new ideas and reveal feelings, use synchronous (same-time) technologies. In other words, use:

realtime 'chat'

systems that allow people to converse with others at the same time, reacting immediately to each other, wherever they happen to be. They don't need to be in the same room.

Once you have chosen chat, there is a choice of media:

• typing text
• voice over the Internet (VOIP)
• video conferencing

• Online chat

• • a facility that allows real-time text or voice communication over the Internet.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat)

a chat room

Child's play

MSN/Windows Messenger

Skype(VoIP)

Gizmo(VoIP)

Online video conferencing

PHP Open Chat

• • is used to hold group meetings or live presentations over the Internet.

• • E-meeting software: Macromedia Breeze, Microsoft ConferenceXP, and OnlineMeetingRooms, etc.

a simulation of a Breeze meeting Democaster, streaming audio plus still images every 10 or 20 s.

old notes

  Realtime 'chat'
  - systems that allow people to converse with others at the same time, reacting immediately to each other, wherever they happen to be
  - e.g. chat rooms, text messaging, audio and video conferencing.

There are many electronic communication technologies that support dialogues between people who are not necessarily all in the same room, or even present at the same time.

Online chat

• Instant messaging with other people over the Internet using chat client
  • Gizmo Project
  • Google Talk
  • Internet Relay Chat - IRC
  • MSN/Windows Messenger
  • Skype
  • Yahoo Messenger
  • Jabber Instant Messenger

• Instant messaging with other people over the Internet using web browser
  • Internet Relay Chat - IRC web client
  • JabberChat
  • PHP Open Chat
  • Ralf's Chat
  • WebChat
  • X7 Chat

• Talk to other people over Internet using client software - VoIP
  • Gizmo Project
  • Google Talk
  • MSN/Windows Messenger
  • OpenWengo
  • palTalk
  • Skype
  • VoipBuster
  • Yahoo Messenger

Online video conferencing

• BT Conferencing
• GnomeMeeting
• Macromedia Breeze
• MarraTech
• MegaMeeting
• Microsoft ConferenceXP
• Microsoft Netmeeting
• OnlineMeetingRooms
• OpenH323 Project

Newman et al. (1997) Evaluating the quality of learning in computer supported co-operative learning