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Manuals
and Guides: Networking
The
Electronic Forum Handbook,
continued
Study
Circles in Cyberspace
Manual
Index
Introduction
Organizing an Electronic Discussion
Group
Moderator Guidelines for
an Electronic Discussion Group
Participant Guidelines for an Electronic
Discussion Group
Lessons Learned
Appendices
a. Dialogue versus Debate
b. Netiquette
c. Emoticons
d. Moderator Technology Checklist
e. Ground Rules
f. Evaluating the Experience
Contents
Participant Guidelines for an Electronic
Discussion Group
Lessons Learned
Participant Guidelines for an Electronic
Discussion Group
Who
participates in an electronic study circle or forum?
Anyone who has access
to a computer with a modem and an Internet connection can potentially
participate in an electronic study circle or forum. The listserv
is set up by the moderator and will allow all messages received
to be read by all participants as well as allowing participants
to post messages to the group. It is advisable the participant have
some basic knowledge of how to send and receive e-mail messages.
Many people who learn e-mail do so because they are motivated to
communicate. People who care about issues can be very motivated
to learn to use e-mail in order to enter discussions.
General
responsibilities include:
- Listen carefully
to others.
- Maintain an open
mind.
- Strive to understand
the position of those who disagree with you.
- Help keep the discussion
on track.
- Speak your mind
freely, but don't monopolize the discussion.
- Address your remarks
to the group rather than the leader.
- Communicate your
needs to the leader in personal e-mail messages.
- Value your own
experience and opinions.
- Engage in friendly
disagreement.
- Make your messages
one computer screen length.
- Limit each message
to one idea.
- Use the subject
line according to group rules for topics.
- Remember that humor
and a pleasant manner can go far in helping you make your points.
- Consider whether
the message should go to an individual rather than the group.
We speak from experience!
Pam and Margaret, members of another listserv, used the reply
function to send a personal message to each other. Instead of
personal messages, personal weekend "recollections" went to everyone
on the listserv. While we survived the minor embarrassment, it
is an unnecessary error. Think before you send the message and
double check who the message is going to on the address line to
avoid such a situation. :#) (One of us blushing!)
Tips
for Participation in an Electronic Discussion Group
1.
Consider your computer skills.
Knowledge of the basic
keyboard functions is important. Some experience with sending and
receiving electronic mail is also helpful. While it is perfectly
permissible to learn electronic mail during a discussion on-line,
it can lead to frustration since the technology can interfere with
communicating. Specific instructions for subscribing to the forum
or study circle listserv can come from the organizers. Basically,
the *reply function* can be used to respond directly to a message.
When you use the *reply function*, your message will be posted to
the entire group. The *send mail* function can be used to send a
message to the entire group or to send a message to an individual
participant.
2.
Read the materials before the forum or study circle begins.
The organizer(s) or moderator(s)
will probably send via snail mail all the materials they want you
to read. The amount of information that is generated during a discussion
group can be surprising, so it is advisable to read what you can
off-line in advance.
3.
Follow Netiquette and ground rules posted in advance of the discussion.
The communication in
cyberspace is quite different from face-to-face and it is very important
that you carefully read and follow these guidelines in order to
be effective.
4.
Compose concise messages.
Use descriptive subject
heading to allow tracking of different threads of a discussion.
For example, the Issue booklets indicate particular choices. These
choices are the first indicator for a subject heading. In this way,
people can go back to previous discussion threads and the reader
can use the subject heading to keep track.
5.
Limit the length and information in your messages.
The ONE SCREEN/ONE POINT
PRINCIPLE is key to having your messages read and understood by
others.
6.
Use spaces, tabs and lines to break up the text.
Reading on the computer
screen is considerably different from reading print material. It
is considerate of your reader to use space and tabs to break up
the text for ease of reading on the screen.
7.
Use emoticons to add emotion to messages.
One difference between
face-to-face and electronic mail communications is the absence of
nonverbal cues in the electronic version. For example, the use of
caps is considered the equivalent of shouting in a face-to-face
group. Emoticons can be used constructively to add emotion to messages.
This requires moderators provide some common emoticons. See Appendix
D.
8.
Use information management techniques as available in your computer
set-up and the computer system for the listserv.
Among the features/ functions
to inquire about and use as available are:
- subscribe
- sign-off
- review participant
list
- set mail
- set conceal
- help
- quit
- personal signature
- digest
- printer capabilities
- save messages to
diskette
- archives
- subject headings
- message capacity
- saving capacity
9.
Seek clarification on reply function for the listserv set up and
your personal computer set up if they are different.
10.
Consider some of the advantages of participating in an e-mail
discussion group:
- develop civic literacy
skills
- develop computer
literacy skills
- develop critical
thinking skills
Back
to top
Lessons
Learned
In the process of
planning, organizing, conducting and assessing our first electronic
discussion group, the authors of this manual, learned a great
deal. This section represents some of the most important "lessons
learned" which we want to share with you.
1.
Lower technology means greater accessibility.
An atmosphere of exclusion
can be unintentionally created if the technology drives the forum
rather than accessibility. It is recommended the forum should be
able to run on low-end consumer hardware.
At the time of writing
this handbook, it is recommended that mail be used for any reading
assignments. This provision allows for less time "on-line" at
a cost savings. It also reduces the amount of e-mail in people's
electronic mailboxes. Therefore, the forum is actually supplemental
to the assigned readings or viewings (video tapes) which can be
disseminated in groups or individually.
2.
Information management techniques are critically important for
moderators and participants.
The moderators/list owners
should take some responsibility for management. Guidelines for participation,
posting messages in terms of length, subject headings, and signatures
(always include electronic addresses so that individuals can interact
personally if desirable) are just a few of the important guidelines
that can be offered by the moderators. In addition, tips for information
management may be very valuable both before and during the study
circles/ forum. Participants need encouragement and the development
of skills to make substantive contributions.
3.
It is suggested that moderators request feedback during the forum
about the forum be done privately.
[Give e-mail address
of moderators. Subject heading: feedback] Feedback on content, operations,
role of moderator, etc. should be entertained. Tips can also be
sent to the moderator who can collect and summarize and disseminate.
4.
Less is more.
There can be a tendency
to write a great deal when one is passionate..or to send several
messages on a single notion in a short amount of time. While it
is important not to squelch interest and expression, it is also
true that quantity on the Internet can be overwhelming. An individual
can be perceived as dominating and others may, in fact, stop listening/reading
messages and render the communications ineffective. This observation
also relates to moderator's communications. Too many questions to
consider or probes in rapid fire, can cause participants to wonder
what to respond to and leave them feeling they must respond to all.
5.
If it can go wrong, it will.
The technology adds new
dimensions to study circles and forums and one of those dimensions
is technical failure...computers and listservs can "fall and go
boom" with great consequence particularly for the listserv moderators/
manager and the participants. Technical assistance is key. The organization
that is able to set up a listserv usually will also offer some assistance
in technical problems which are bound to arise. Be prepared to live
with the frustration of some problems that cannot be resolved neatly
or quickly.
It is still worth
the experience most of the time! Moderators are well served by
learning the vocabulary of the Internet in order to be able to
pose the right questions to the technical support people.
Check with your system
administrator if you are not receiving mail for a few days. If
the system administrator receives non-delivery notices, the person
will eventually be dropped. You may be notified, but you may not.
If your e-mail address changes, it is easier to unsubscribe first
and then resubscribe from new address.
6.
Learning curves for novices can be great and frustration intense.
We all learned how to
communicate naturally, without special devices. Phones are one thing
and most of us grew up with phones. Some of us are growing up with
computers, but not all of us. Many of us reluctantly try it because
we know it is the future and everyone likes a challenge once in
awhile. But there is quite a bit to learn to participate in a forum
if e-mail is new. Moderators and fellow participants can help in
a variety of ways as the novice moves from beginner to a position
of competence. We all have to start somewhere...the key is to be
willing to start at 0 and ask for assistance. That goes not only
for participants but moderators as well. The most experienced of
moderators find the study circle on-line is a very different animal.
7.
Netiquette is not enough.
Standard etiquette guidelines
for Internet communication should be posted. But no matter how many
points are given, the nature of the Internet is that it is so new
and we are all so inexperienced in asynchronous, electronic communication
that we cannot possibly avoid pitfalls and mishaps. The moderator
and participants do best when an attitude of openness, understanding
and sharing constructive feedback is adopted.
8.
Even moderators may need to take a break occasionally in which
case posting the time off is useful to participants.
Netiquette is important
since more than general rules of good communication are necessary
on the Internet.
9.
Participation may not necessarily be judged by the amount of messages.
The term "lurker"
is a negative one, indicating that one is reading and watching
but not writing. People can be active listeners. It is the moderator's
responsibility to set the tone for the level of participation
required and to develop an atmosphere that allows active forms
of participation that meet each person's needs. Differing levels
of comfort with the technology will impact participation in addition
to the engagement with the subject matter. People can feel "frozen
out" if they make comments that do not receive feedback. Moderators
can enhance participation and avoid feelings of isolation by using
weaving comments that acknowledge comments, responding to individuals,
etc.
Manual
Index
Introduction
Organizing an Electronic Discussion
Group
Moderator Guidelines for
an Electronic Discussion Group
Participant Guidelines for an Electronic
Discussion Group
Lessons Learned
Appendices
a. Dialogue versus Debate
b. Netiquette
c. Emoticons
d. Moderator Technology Checklist
e. Ground Rules
f. Evaluating the Experience
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