How to Conduct an Online Chat

TOPIC:
When considering organizing an online chat for a group of students (or professional colleagues), selecting an appropriate topic and objectives is your first step.

PURPOSE:
Be sure that the stated purpose of the chat session is both clear and meaningful to the participants. The participants should see that this session will help meet some of their needs to succeed in the course or project.

TIME:
Designating a time and day for the session comes next and must be communicated to the participants in time for them to plan to join in. A reminder should be sent the day before the event. The time allocated to achieve the objectives for the session should be ample and realistic.

OBJECTIVES:
Share the objectives with the participants so they know the purpose and the anticipated product of the session today.

BANDWIDTH:
Encourage everyone to have at least 56 KB modem connection but a broader bandwidth (e.g., DSL or cable modem) would be more desirable for speed of communication.

PRE-CHAT:
Be sure the participants know what they have to do before the session and what they need to bring with them to the session.

GUESTS:
Consider inviting outside experts to join the chat where appropriate to make it a memorable and rewarding session.

RULES:
If there are special rules for the conduct of the chat session, provide them in writing (email or on a bulletin board) prior to the session. You will need some procedural rules for “speaking.” For example, since it often takes more space to make a comment than is allowed on one line in a chat, the others need to wait while additional lines are typed and transmitted. You might suggest that the contributor type “-o-“ at the end of their final line so others know they can not contribute without butting in during the middle of another person’s comment. The rules are sometimes referred to as “Chat Room Netiquette.”

EMOTICONS:
Some symbols can help convey your emotions since others can not see your body language. Here are a few of the “Smiley” symbols that you might want to use:
:-) Happy, smiling.
;-) Making a joke; winking.
:-D A huge smile
:-( Sad.
:-0 You are alarmed!
:-/ You are not amused

INTRODUCTIONS:
If this is the participants’ first time to meet together, plan how they will introduce themselves. If possible, have them post their bios online for the others to read before or after the chat session.

ACTIVITIES:
Plan your online chat as you would a regular class meeting. Following introductions, try to have a mixture of activities: a presentation by you or a chat member, polling the members for their opinions, sending small groups off for short breakout sessions, guest experts (like one of the textbook authors), or a problem for collaborative work. Make sure it is interactive and not a one-way typed lecture.

LEARNING STYLES:
Since we know that different people learn in different ways, try to plan some activities that will appeal to different learning styles.

STARTING THE SESSION:
Begin by reviewing the purpose of today’s chat and, where appropriate, relate it to prior activities they have done.

CONTROL:
Can you plan some activities where the participants lead the session? The more ownership they feel, the more meaningful the chat session will be. Perhaps you could assign leadership of each chat session to a different participant.

TESTING TIME:
If you open the chat session 15 minutes prior to its official start, participants will have time to chat informally with you and with each other so they feel comfortable when the formal chat session begins.

SUMMARY:
Be sure to give a summary of the chat’s purpose and what was accomplished. Try to pull together the various comments into a cohesive whole. If there is any follow-up activity needed, clarify what must be done and the deadline for it to be completed.

EVALUATION:
Review how the session went so the next chat will be even more successful. You can use oral or written evaluation techniques.

Note: Many of these hints are based on suggestions found online in “Designing and Facilitating Online, Web-Based Events: A Very General Checklist“ by Nancy White, Full Circle Associates (http://www.fullcirc.com).

Also, check other online Web pages for hints and further details on organizing chat sessions and online communities. For example, look at: http://www.fullcirc.com/community/desingingonlineevents.htm

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