Reactions to Daf’s Taxonomy

of Educational Chats

Working Table of Educational Chats Taxonomy

After my chat yesterday, I reflected on what happened there, just as I do after a f2f class, but this time with the chatlog to go over the whole session, which cannot be done after a f2f class unless you video or audio record it. When you read the chatlog you will find my reflective notes included.

We decided at the beginning of the session, to take an inductive approach to the issue in discussion, that is, start with the explanation of the architecture unit I designed to end up with the theory behind it. But things did not go this way, and this is what a comment from Sus, almost by the end of our chat session, regarding chats, made me think.

We were discussing how educational chats are different from chats in social chat rooms, and Sus said that there should be a term to call these educational chats. Thinking about that, I just came to think of 4 different kinds of educational chats, and how e-moderating each of them should be different. Later, I will ask your opinion about a problem I faced in my chat and that I did not know how to handle at the moment. Let me explain the 4 types of educational chats I am thinking of:

Free-topic chats, like our TI Sunday meetings, whose main purpose is to practice English for some, to learn and explore web tools, all this in the company of friends. There is not a pre-established agenda, and there is free moderation. Different threads are going on at the same time, and each one joins the conversational thread of his/her interest.
Chats to practice language-functions. The objective is that the students using the chat, practice with other students and the moderator, a given function of the language. For example, role playing an interview, or something of the like. These are very closed-topic chats, and the moderator usually establishes the rules and turn taking style.
Collaborative task-oriented chats. Participants get together in a chat to accomplish a real-life task, for example when week 5 team gathered to plan our strategic plan for the week (available in our week 5 “activities” page. Or when my architecture students worked to share the characteristics of the different buildings each student had read, and come up with the shared characteristics, which were going to be used in further tasks. In these kind of chat, there is not need for a moderator, the same group establishes the norms, and handle the situation to complete the task in the time they have available.
Informative chats. These chats have the purpose of presenting material for later discussion, the moderator has prepared the material before hand and of course the topic to be discussed has been previously announced to the audience. The Eurolanguage sessions are an example of this kind of chat, and the one that I had yesterday is another example. Here comes my question about e-moderating these chats. Should the moderator, keep on track despite side issues that arise, or anticipated questions asked by the audience? Sometimes latecomers to the chat do not know the approach that has been set, and are eager to participate, and the discussion may take different roads and not get where it was supposed to. What should the moderator do?

These categories just came from the top of my head, but wanted to share them with you.

Well, I would like you to read the chatlog from my chat yesterday, with the reflection notes I included, and I would like to hear some ideas and comments about my failure to go back on track.

So, this is the link to the chatlog, and I eagerly await for your comments.

http://dygonza.esmartweb.com/evonline2003/chats/dafchattue18.htm It can also be read at our week 5 web page, in the chat schedule, and in the Links and Files section of our Yahoo Group in the week 5 folder.

Hugs,

Daf

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Daf made a great work of a chatlog with notes. And, as I was
kind of helpdesk volunteer during the session, I was pleased to
see that some of these notes refelcted some helpful hints I
whispered under cover and off the record to newer Tapped In
participants, like Don and Arlyn. Another aspect was that Daf and
I were able to improvise a teamwork on this presentation, as I
had been her ciritcal observer during the online class Daf was
describing. We had not planned to do this on beforehand, it just
happened as a natural follow of our mutual understanding.
Tomorrow, Daf wish to continue to build on the same topic in her
planned chat session, and I hope to be there, as well. My actual
state of mind fit better with the direct chat mode that the more
reflective longer messages and texts.

Sus

Not more for now, I am in great need for some deep sleep

Yours, Sus
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Daf,

This great reflection! Congrats!

As I suggested to you a while ago, I'd rename #2 'Chats for language
practice'. I think it is more general and comprehensive. It seems to me that
the word 'functions' is restrictive.

I'd also rename #4 to 'Presentation chats'. That it is their aim, right?

Regarding #3, I'd go for 'Task-oriented chats', because I consider that
'collaborative' is implicit in group work. However, you said you'd have to
think better about this last one and I agree. Maybe I'm trying to
oversimplify.

No more opinions for tonight. I'm bushed. It's been a long chat-full day!
Great chats, btw.

Hugs, Teresa
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Dear Daf,
Though I couldn't attend your session yesterday due to problems with java in
my browser, I found your classification most interesting. Would you allow
me to give this to one of my students who this morning came to me asking for
help in his research? He is not sure on which field he could do it and, as
a matter of causality, I suggested him chats to improve vocabulary, or
probably reading.
And as for the Venezuelan recipe for the WIA map, I'm going to prepare it
during the weekend.
Greetings,
María Irene

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Dear Maria Irene,
Thanks for considering my out of the top of my head classification. We have been discussing them at TI with Sus and Tere and we have come up with some changes. It would be kind of temerary to give this to a student. My idea was more to reflect and discuss about them. Tere has a very interesting and rounded presentation about chats that may inspire this student. I will send you the url later, because my eyes are closing. OH, yes, it would be great to have a recipe from Venezuela on the map!! Hugs, and take care, dear Daf

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Hi, dear Daf, I regret so much not having been able to join you yesterday! But then, thanks to this advantage we now have to read the chatlogs, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the "asynchronous" version of your chat. Before my attempt to give my humble anwer to your question, I need to congratulate you on your versatility, your hard work and dedication, your enthusiasm and always-ready-to-share disposition. Thanks once more!! As to your query, "Well, I would like you to read the chatlog from my chat yesterday, with the reflection notes I included, and I would like to hear some ideas and comments about my failure to go back on track." I dare say it's the same as what happens in our f2f classes: many times we prepare a topic to develop and we get sidetracked by a question which has little to do with our plan. What to do? Well, I guess I would then and there evaluate the importance of keeping on track by reverting to my original topic, against the weight of the unexpected query... I would also consider whether the purpose of the discussion has been the discussion itself --i.e. using certain strategies or some specific functional language to develop speaking skills--, or coming to a conclusion needed for a course of action to be taken... But I'd also like to read others' views and possible reactions... I've also seen the work you've done, and cannot but recognize the pioneer in every venture of yours... A most grateful hug, Rita Btw, can I adopt your categorization of chats...? I'll include it in my talk about chatting I'm preparing this year... And I find it comprehensive and precise! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Dear Dafne, Thank you for providing a clear classification of educational chats. I think dividing educational chats in four types is exactly what we need. There might be more types that we can think of later, but for the time being and for our purpose here during Week 5 discussions, I strongly agree with your "Tree of Educational Chats". It surely helps us recognize the role of moderation/moderators in each type; in addition, moderators could assume a certain level of authority; without embarrassing any of the participants. For example, in an Informative chat, a moderator can assume a certain level of authority to keep a discussion in track aiming at preventing distracting behaviors, such as, side talks or irrelevant questions. This is essential; I believe, because, such behaviors might result in waste of time of both moderators and some participants who are prepared for the discussion, and can also stand in the way of fruitful outcomes. Moreover, classifying chats in 4 types; per se, allows participants to choose the type of chat that interests them, and accept any notice by the moderator with ease, as they are aware beforehand of the kind of chat they choose to join. This, I believe, could enforce the level of cooperation and the friendly spirit in a group chat environment through the mutual understanding or agreement on these basis or characteristics provided by you Dafne for each chat type. I think, to tell the students about the 4 kinds of chats helps a moderator manage group/individual chats better. Dafne, for the past 2 years, I have run many individual chats with my students using, I can say, Free-topic chats. I intend, during this semester, to run for the first time group chat with my students and would like to inform them about the 4 categories of chats. I’m thinking of telling them, quoting you of course, the following: 1) Free-topic chats are to be held on weekends. 2) Closed-topic chats would be used; for example, during the chapter on “Reporting”, when the students are to be practicing the reporting genre. 3) Collaborative task-oriented chats are to be used, by the students only, two weeks prior to submission of their final projects, a portfolio that I usually ask them to submit, using ppt or word documents saved in a floppy disk, or maybe a weblog this time. Students can use Group boards to chat in groups of 4-6. 4) Informative chats can be used alternatively with Closed-topic chats. I can present a new grammar rule, for example, or might be used by the students to present their final projects. Dafne, this is only a way of how I can see myself using the various types of chats, provided by you. I don’t know if I will have enough time to run the four kinds, but at this point this is my visualization of how to use educational chats, in my present situation. If you have any comment or feedback, kindly provide. Best regards, Buth p.s Dafne, I will have to read the chatlog from the chat you moderated the other day in TI to see what you mean by failing to go back on track, then I will comment in another message. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Dear Rita, I feel much honored that my reflection on chat classification is being considered to be included in your talk. As I told Maria Irene, this is by no means a thought out classification. I am creating a web page with these ideas and the comments given by Tere, and those that might be given by other Webheads. I am also eagerly waiting for the comments of experts in this issue, Vance and Michael, for instance. When I have this page ready, you can use it as a work in progress, of course. A warm hug, Daf :::::::::::::::::::::: Dearest Buth, I highly appreciate your comments and your interest in the chat classification. It is amazing how you have already visualized how to use it in your class plans. :-) I will add your examples to the page I am creating for that classification. All the Best, Daf ::::::::::::::::::: Daf-- I had some suggestions for your #4 category (I am assuming this is still a "draft" thought on these categories): Maybe "informative" is not quite the right name, as really the information is prepared beforehand. So for example, in my Reading_Online group there is a paper to read, and then students come together to discuss issues posed by the paper. Maybe "academic seminar" chat is closer to what it is like? The moderator would usually prepare 3-4 questions to consider and try to keep the cats herded into focus on those topics, and change topics periodically throughout the chat time, e.g. 10 min. for discussion of each question. When I did this type of chat with guest "speakers" they usually did most of the conversational management, with an occasionally prompt from me (the moderator), so most academics feel comfortable with this type of online discussion even when they don't do chat regularly, as it is close to a graduate seminar. The goal is not to inform, but to educate, that is "draw forth" ideas or explore a specified topic, based on information provided external to the chat. (One advantage with chat is the possiblity to project a reference page with the information directly under discussion.) As with a seminar, the conversation may go in unexpected directions, but would still remain within the focus provided by the external stimulus (the paper or Website in question). I wonder if this is a typically American situation? I have experienced seminars at all levels of American education, including middle school and high school, but in Europe it used to be mainly a graduate school or institute phenomenon. (When I studied at the St. Gallen Hochschule in the mid-1960s, they were just instituting the American-style seminar in final year courses.) Does this suggestion for #4 resonate? I really appreciate your categorization--it will be very, very useful for teachers everywhere. --Elizabeth PS: Thanks also to Week-5ers for the great indexing of the chat log--this makes it so much more useful as a read! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::. Dear All, I have created a working table with the classification of educational chats. I have taken into consideration the comments and suggestions some of you have sent (Tere, Rita, Buth, Vance, and Elizabeth). I have changed the order, and taking into consideration Vance's comment, I have ordered them from more directed to less directed, the colors indicate this. I have also created 3 subcategories for what I first called Informative, then Tere called Presentation, and Elizabeth, Academical sessions. These subcategories are: demonstration, hands-on, and discussion. Please take a look and give me your comments. I have place the the document in the Files section of this group (week 5) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evonline2002_webheads/files/2003/week5-feb1723/chat_classification.htm ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Hi, Daf, I don't know where you find the time to be so organized! Thank you for putting all the ideas about classification of educational chats together in a table. Here are some thoughts about the Informative/Presentation/Demo chats: As someone who arrived late to your Thursday chat, I appreciated being acknowledged and advised as to what was going on. However, I think that really distracts from the presentation. If someone, like Sus, could be a co-presentor with the responsibility of helping late arrivals or those with problems receiving projections, the presenter could more readily focus on the topic. I know that Sus was a big help to you, so ideally you could plan ahead to have someone fulfill the role she helped you with. Chris Jones Back to Top Back to Main Summary Page