Student Use of Computer Mediated Communication in an Open University Level 1 Course: Academic or Social?

Dick Morris, Norman Mitchell and Madeleine Bell, Student Use of Computer Mediated Communication in an Open University Level 1 Course: Academic or Social?, Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 99 (2).

Abstract

For its 1996 presentation, the 4500 students on the multiple-media Open University course Living with Technology were provided with access to the FirstClass™ conferencing system, supported by the Computing Service of the University. This offered easily-used conferencing and electronic mail facilities, and was intended to “close the loop” between learners and the University. Use of the medium by students was not made compulsory, in anticipation that there could be logistic or financial problems for a course of this size and nature. During 1996 student activity was monitored to determine:

1. feasibility and reliability of the medium on this scale;


2. proportion of students using the medium;


3. temporal patterns of student usage;


4. educational characteristics of student use of CMC.

Over 70% of students obtained regular access, and during the summer of 1996, students were posting some 8-10, and reading over 30 messages per month. They were reading some 140 conference postings per month, and sending an average of 2 postings per student over the same period. Most of these exchanges were not in the formal, course-related conferences, but were in chat, in self-help group conferences or elsewhere. Most course-content-related conference postings were assignment focused. The majority of students did not appear to want to make use of the medium for formal, active learning in conjunction with the more conventional media.
They appear readily to accept the medium, and to find that it provides great motivation, but the precise educational role of CMC in this context needs to be examined carefully in view of its very real costs to both staff and students.