Electronic Communication Blog

Threaded Discussion

    One popular medium used during distance learning communication are threaded discussions. Typically these are done in "Discussion" sections of course management systems such as Canvas. One of the problems I have experienced with this type of communication is that replies and conversations that happen through this format lack passion and creativity. I will admit, at times I too am guilty of this but it is by far the medium that constantly produces lack luster conversations. A reason I believe this to be is that discussion posts typically follow the same format so students lose interest fast when many assignments are given in this form. One of the major limitations with threaded discussions is that you do not gain the same social experiences as you would with live chat discussions. Talking though threaded posts that may occur days apart pulls one out of a conversation. Threaded discussions are best for quick comments on peers work but I dislike them for more complex and detailed conversations. 

E-mail Discussion

    Another popular medium used during distance learning are e-mail discussions. The biggest limitation and problem I have faced with this medium is that conversations may take a long time to occur, due to varying response times. I have had issues in the past connecting with peers due to varying availability. For example, I had been working on a group project and had to ask my peers for their input on something before moving on. Rather than being able to quickly ask someone, I had to stop working, e-mail my peers, then wait for their response. E-mail discussions make it difficult for one to work on their own time. Another concern is that tone and expressions get lost in digital conversations. When speaking face-to-face, one can see how someone reacts to a comment or they can better understand where someone is coming from based off of their delivery.

Live Chat Discussion

    Live chat discussions are by far the best medium for distance learning communication. The benefits of conducting a live chat discussion rather than an e-mail discussion is that one can immediately receive feedback when discussing. There is no need to wait for a response as everyone in the group is present and can chat right away. People are usually much more invested in a conversation when they can both see and hear the person they are communicating with. One limitation that may occur with live chat discussions is that scheduling issues may occur. For the group project in this course, there were issues with planning a date to communicate due to conflicting schedules.