Instant+Mess.+Chat+Assignment+for+MGT+251++Heidi+Helgren

Your name: Heidi Helgren Objective: Instant Messaging/Chat Feature for Answering Case Questions Course name: MGT 251: Business Law 1

Objective assignment will meet: Enhance student communication and increase self-confidence when answering case questions.

Description of previous assignment: Students are responsible for writing out answers to end of chapter case questions. They turn them in to me, and we discuss them in class. But not all students participate in the discussion. There are the ones who talk a lot, and of course the students who don’t want to talk at all. Doesn’t seem to matter whether they know the “right” answer or not.

Rationale for assignment revision: I’m wondering if students will be more willing to “talk” in an online format. The instant messaging features or chatting may make more students open up. The discussion board postings work, but it’s difficult to debate a case without instant/immediate return communication.

Technology to be used: In my posting I talked about my dissatisfaction with Educator’s chat feature. So I think I would use Yahoo or Google instead.

Instructions students will need to use technology: Most students probably already understand chat functions, but otherwise I think it’s a matter of getting them signed up and then telling them to experiment with it a bit. Most of these seem to work the same way – it’s just a matter of getting used to the way they look.

Brief description of content students will need to accomplish assignment (textbook, websites, lectures, videos, resources): Textbook, lectures, classroom discussions, and possibly independent research on the internet to find the court’s actual decision on cases.

Instructions for students to complete assignment: This is the problem I see with the chat function. I would have to get everyone online at the exact same time. Which doesn’t really work for a strictly on-line class. In a face-to-face class, it could be interesting to have a computer lab – do a lecture and then have everyone chatting about the case questions on the computer instead of out-loud in class as I normally do, to see if it made a difference. Especially since they could use their personal sign-on names which might make it difficult to connect to the actual person. Everyone would be require to participate in the conversation. Would that save time? Is it easier/quicker to read what people are posting, then to listen to what they are saying? Plus – it would eliminate the problem of the students who talk way to much and are hard to cut off possibly.

Grading criteria, rubric, and assessment: I’m not sure how I would grade it, except that people would get points for participating. Then if someone missed class that day – they just wouldn’t get the points.

I think this would be difficult though – because the number of computer labs are limited. And I don’t think I would get priority for a computer lab when I explain it’s for chatting. J