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Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
Volume 4 Issue 3     March, 1999

Educational Applications of CMCS: Solving Case Studies through Asynchronous Learning Networks Raquel Benbunan-Fich Seton Hall University Starr Roxanne Hiltz New Jersey Institute of Technology      Case studies are an important component of many business curricula. However, in-class discussion of case studies suffers from temporal and geographical limitations. Computer-mediated communication systems (CMCS) can be used to overcome these constraints. An Asynchronous Learning Network, a CMCS supporting "anytime/anywhere" interaction and tailored for educational activities, may be used to expand and enrich case discussions. ALN-mediated discussions allow students and instructors from remote locations to participate in the discussion at their own convenient times. A field experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of an ALN vs. traditional manual methods in individuals and groups discussing and solving a case study. Findings indicate that groups working in an asynchronous networked environment produced better and longer solutions to the case study, but were less satisfied with the interaction process. Document-centered Peer Collaborations: An Exploration of the Educational Uses of Networked Communication Technologies Geri Gay Cornell University Amanda Sturgill Baylor University Wendy Martin Daniel Huttenlocher Cornell University      Document-centered software, such as the CoNote application developed at Cornell University, supports cooperative work systems by facilitating communication within work groups via shared annotations (marginal notes) on a set of documents. The central idea is that shared annotations provide an effective communications forum for groups whose work involves frequent reference to some set of documents (e.g., teachers and students, field service workers, editors and publishers, organizations). In this study we examined how students used annotation tools for communication and learning and attempted to identify which factors influenced students’ interpretations of these collaboration tools. It appears that the beliefs that users hold about what constitutes a legitimate educational experience can influence the value they ascribe to educational software. Gender also seemed to have an impact on whether students felt that the annotations helped them create better Web sites and learn more effectively. The Human Factors of MBone Videoconferences: Recommendations for Improving Sessions and Software Andrew S.Patrick Communications Research Centre, Ottawa      The "MBone" is the portion of the Internet that has implemented a new computer network technology called "multicasting". Multicasting supports efficient distribution of network traffic to multiple users simultaneously. Videoconferencing is the most common MBone application in use today and this paper reviews the human factors issues related to MBone videoconferencing. Three parameters of human factors concerns are defined: the task of the session (meeting, education, entertainment), the media used during the session (video, audio, shared workspace), and the communication modes involved (interactive vs. non-interactive and formal vs. informal). Videoconference sessions and software can be placed in this parameter space and this can provide valuable information about the technical and human requirements. The human factors research literature relevant to each of these parameters is reviewed and the current MBone tools are analyzed. Specific recommendations are made for MBone session organizers and software developers. These recommendations are not all specific to multicasting and will be of interest to people developing or using any videoconference system. Using E-mail To Survey Internet Users In The United States: Methodology And Assessment Kim Sheehan University of Oregon Mariea Grubbs Hoy University of Tennessee-Knoxville      The Internet's potential for academic and applied research has recently begun to be acknowledged and assessed. To date, researchers have used Web page-based surveys to study large groups of on-line users and e-mail surveys to study smaller, more homogenous on-line user groups. A relatively untapped use for the Internet is to use e-mail to survey broader Internet populations on both a national and international basis. Our experience using e-mail to study a national sample of Internet users is presented, beginning with a discussion of how a sample of on-line users can be selected using a 'people finder' search engine. We include an evaluation of the demographic characteristics of the respondent pool compared to both a web page-based survey and a telephone survey of Internet users. Considerations for researchers who are evaluating this method for their own studies are provided. CMC and Academe: What's Next? Sheizaf Rafaeli University of Haifa      Sheizaf's abstract goes here. Faculty Use and Non-Use of Electronic Mail: Attitudes, Expectations and Profiles Ananda Mitra Michael D. Hazen Betty LaFrance Randall G. Rogan Wake Forest University      This paper raises four research questions about the relationships between expectations about the faculty use of e-mail and the level of e-mail usage among faculty. The study uses a survey design to test expectations about technology on several attitude measures. We report that positive expectations about the functionality of technology are related to higher incidence of e-mail use. Furthermore, the results suggest higher existing levels of computer use in general, and that positive anticipation of future use is also related to higher levels of e-mail use in particular. These findings are then used to develop profiles of users and non-users. The results indicate that younger faculty with greater exposure to computers tend to be more frequent users of e-mail than older faculty whose customary communication styles do not include the use of e-mail. Finally it is suggested that expectations about the "promise of technology" are related to the actual use of technology.