Are chat, discussion groups, and e-mail useful for WBT?
Yes. When appropriately used, each of these can enhance learning and improve performance. I use the term chat as a synonym for any online, real-time group activity, from text chat to 3-D worlds with participant avatars. Discussion groups (forums, Usenet newsgroups) are similar to text chat, only asynchronous–when one poses a question to the group, or answers another, all members of the group benefit, though not instantaneously. It’s the group dynamic of these information sharing media that adds perspective perhaps not available in one-on-one instruction. When e-mail lists are used in sending group messages, the learning effect is the same. Electronic “whiteboards” serve the same function as chat, though they add the ability to draw pictures.
