Evaluation of a continuing computer conference on simulation

Abstract

A 20-day computer conference was held in preparation for a face-to-face meeting to produce a computer simulation. The conferencing resulted in the generation of seven different models and was excellent preparation for the subsequent meeting. Computer conferencing appears to hold great value for faculty development in a period of reduced faculty mobility.Sedelow (I976) has pointed out that a computer network has a multitude of elements, and a thorough description and evaluation of the entire person-machine system requires attention to all elements_ Vallee, Johansen, and Spangler (1975) suggest that computer conferencing represents a new and altered form of communication, one in which the users are required to develop new kinds of communicating behavior. If one can conceive of a continuum of interpersonal communication that extends from direct (face-to-face) communication to communication by letter, then it would seem that two major underlying components are the forms of information conveyed and the speed of feedback. With direct communication, the usual verbal content is augmented by voice inflection, facial expression, and gestures, and the process is facilitated by direct feedback. Written communication, on the other hand, lacks all the accouterments of face-to-face communication, tends to be much more formal, and feedback is very slow, influenced by the vagaries of the mail system and the desire of the correspondents not to delay the process. Various media range somewhere in between, including the telephone conference call, twoway interactive television, and computer conferencing.Computer conferencing is a process in which conferees obtain telephone access to a central, often quite remote, computer and communicate with each other by entering messages to an executive program, which then distributes the messages to the appropriate recipients. Requirements are an acoustically coupled terminal, minimal typing ability, and access to a computertelephone network.

Techno-Sense: Making Sense of Computer-Mediated Communication Systems

“…RELATED LITERATURE CMCS may facilitate the improvement in the information processing systems of organizations. For example, CMCS has been related to a more efficient flow of information up, down, and across organizations (Furgeson, 1977 ;Katzman, 1974;Pool, 1983; Rice & Bair, 1984;Rogers, 1986;Spelt, 1977;Strassman, 1985); to greater access to information and individuals (both local and remote); and to creating greater access to organizational power, decision making, and creative processes (Gengle, 1984;Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire, 1984;Rice 1980). Also CMCS has been linked to increases in the amount of information distributed and consumed (Ito, 1981;Pool, 1983;Rogers, 1986); concerns about information overload (Rogers, 1986); increased separation between information poor and rich (Katzman, 1974;Pool, 1983); alterations in organizational structure (Allen & Hauptman, 1987); increased communication activities within functional groups and in superior-subordinate relationships (Rice, 1980); more effective communication with external environments (Rice, 1987); more open organizational networks (Rice, 1987); and a decrease in the amount of face-to-face and telephone communication (Kaye & Byrne, 1986;Sumner, 1985).…”

“…Due to the low level of social presence when using CMCS compared with other forms of interaction, users have less ability to communicate status and hierarchy in social relationships (Kiesler et al, 1984;Short, Williams, & Christie, 1976). In comparison to face-to-face communication, CMCS has been reported to be more concise, logical, direct, organized, careful, functional, serious, businesslike, depersonalized, task-oriented, and less emotional, friendly, informal, personal, relaxed, and spontaneous (Furgeson, 1977;Hiemstra, 1982;Johansen & DeGrasse, 1979;Krueger & Champanis, 1980;Spelt, 1977). Researchers have found that users learn to substitute written cues for nonverbal cues that may be essential to developing and maintaining social relationships (Hiltz, Turoff, & Johnson 1985;Love & Rice,1985;Phillips,1983;Pollack,1982;Rafaeli,1983;Spelt,1977).…”

“…Researchers have found that users learn to substitute written cues for nonverbal cues that may be essential to developing and maintaining social relationships (Hiltz, Turoff, & Johnson 1985;Love & Rice,1985;Phillips,1983;Pollack,1982;Rafaeli,1983;Spelt,1977). Thus CMCS users may be able to use the system to extend their network of interpersonal relationships in the organization (Danowski, 1982b;Spelt, 1977). CMCS has been used not only to accomplish task objectives but also to communicate jokes, to send humorous messages and personal messages, to announce social events, and in one case to exchange complaints about management (Emmet, 1981;Marvin, 1983;Rafaeli, 1983).…”

Computers and computing in psychology: Twenty years of progress and still a bright future

“…Fifteen years ago, Walter Sedelow (Sedelow, 1976) outlined how networks would change the way we work. In the next year, Phil Spelt and Karl Zinn (Spelt, 1977;Zinn, 1977) presented what then were state-of-theart techniques for computer conferencing. What they described is not much different from what we can now accomplish easily with BITNET or INTERNET, but I think that all three underestimated the extent to which we would depend on electronic communications and data highways in the 199Os.…”

Computer networking among faculty members: the effects of computer networking on faculty communication and culture

“…physically separated and through a computer, many researchers have investigated the effects on the social-emotional content of interpersonal messages. Some researchers blamed the narrow bandwidth of computer networking for an increase in the seriousness, depersonalized, businesslike, and task oriented nature of interaction and a decrease in emotional and friendly elements (Furgeson, 1977;Hiemstra, 1982;Hiltz & Turoff, 1978;Johansen & DeGrasse, 1979;Krueger & Chapanis, 1980;Lin, 1987;Rogers, 1986;Spelt, 1977;Vallee, Johansen, Lipinski, Spangler, Wilson, & Hardy, 1975;Vallee et al, 1978). Rogers found that 30% of interactions made via an electronic bulletin board dealt with socio-emotional content.…”