How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning
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How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat
Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning
Certain strategies can enable successful chat
rooms in academic courses. by Christyne A. Berzsenyi
Introduction boards. Second, computer chat rooms
immerse students in the act of writing to
Determining how much authority teach- real audiences, raising their awareness of
ers of writing ought to share with students audience issues as they exchange mes-
in computer-assisted classrooms is a peda- sages. Third, chat rooms allow teachers
gogical decision with personal, rhetorical, to engage the greatest number of students
political, and ethical implications. Schol- in discussion at the same time. If students
ars such as Porter, Sullivan, Howard, are not getting involved in conversation,
Takayoshi, Turkle, and others have noted the medium is not being used to its full
that computer-assisted writing instruction potential (Hawisher). Fourth, computer
presents challenges regarding how teach- chat is an effective way to involve students
ers “should” and “could” mediate com- in collaborative work. For example, stu-
munication with students. In particular, dents can chat to form groups around
chat rooms, which are real-time written common interests, exchange ideas for
message exchanges in computer developing collaborative projects, and
cyberspaces, are highly interactive, stu- share course information. Fifth, chat room
dent-centered learning contexts. Instruct- exchanges easily enable the teacher to
ing students on computer use, dealing challenge students to a deeper under-
with their communication anxieties, ad- standing of their responses by asking stu-
dressing inflammatory language use, and dents to elaborate on a previous message.
reducing frustration are some of the tasks Finally, computer chat rooms are well
teachers must perform while conducting suited for developing spaces for coopera-
course-based chat rooms. tive learning. For example, students can
Despite these obstacles, many good exchange responses to course readings,
reasons exist for incorporating chat rooms share strategies for a writing assignment,
into composition instruction. First of all, and discuss other course components.
writing instruction must now accommo- More specifically, I ask basic writing stu-
date electronic discourses and media be- dents to read an essay and then post a
cause of the ever-increasing use of message in the chat room to this ques-
technology. Students need to be proficient tion, “What is the thesis, purpose, and
at e-mail, Web and database research, audience of this short essay?” One stu-
computer software presentations, and dent wrote, “The audience of this piece
electronic chat rooms and discussion would probably be disabled veterans and
How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning 165
Copyright © 2000 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.paraplegic people. The purpose and the- straints and the features of the software
sis would be to inform people of virtual such as message length, message retrieval,
reality and how it is enhancing the future.” and message reply functions. Once stu-
This assignment requires all students to dents have some initial instruction, they
present their analyses and allows each stu- need the opportunity to practice messag-
dent to read the others’ responses to the ing casually. For example, I once asked
same material, enabling the students to students in a basic writing class to dis-
learn from each other. Further, such an cuss what they did over the weekend that
exchange encourages a conversation of included a Friday the college was closed
multiple viewpoints in an atmosphere of due to bad weather. One student replied
cooperative learning, shifting some of the by saying, “my house got washed away
responsibility of teaching from the in- this weekend.” This message sparked
structor to the students. other students to discuss the effects of the
By examining some of my own peda- storm on their property, their work sched-
gogical trials, errors, and successes with ules, and their lives. Here are two repre-
chat rooms, I here offer some strategies sentative responses: “I had to drive all
for conducting effective participation these weird detours to get home,” and “I
among students in such settings. I also drove all the way to school and it was
discuss several models of teacher-student closed.” Within this casual conversation,
interaction for developing the instructor’s students experimented with the new com-
role in academic chat rooms. munication tool to get a feel for how one
exchanges messages. Such an icebreaker
session assures that students develop lit-
Enabling Students to Conference
eracy in chat rooms before they engage in
It is important for students to know that more task-oriented conferences. This “get-
academic chat rooms are not for enter- ting acquainted” session enables success
tainment, as many Internet chat rooms in subsequent messaging.
are. Rather, teachers must demonstrate While some students will be experi-
that chat is a valuable writing tool for enced with computer chat rooms, others
learning and communication. Accord- are unfamiliar with them and may initially
ingly, the benefits and drawbacks of com- feel inadequate about participating. These
municating with chat should be discussed students need encouragement and some
with students before they actually start time to learn how the medium constrains
their dialogue. For example, I have found and enables their message exchange. For
it is effective to ask students to compare example, an adult male technical writing
oral communication with chat room dis- student expressed his frustration with his
cussion and print writing in terms of the first experience in an academic chat room.
length of messages, opportunities for in- As our first chat conference, I asked stu-
teraction, the lack of physical presence, dents to share project ideas and to form
and so forth have been effective. In doing collaborative groups, according to their
so, teachers enable more productive use mutual interests and goals. Brad ex-
of the chat room and prevent apathetic plained:
or overly playful attitudes of unsuccess- We were assigned to brainstorm amongst
ful conferencing. ourselves to come up with ideas for propos-
To begin computer conferences, teach- als and to form groups. I thought that this
ers need to introduce students to the con- was a great idea to help get the ball rolling
166 TETYC, December 2000and to break the pressure of the assignment. ness about their writing. However, guided
However, it turned out to be inefficient for chat room interaction with practice and
me because I couldn’t read and reply to a play can boost confidence in writing.
statement in a timely manner that would be
understood by the readers. There were so
Clearly, difficulties with adapting to
many conversations going on at the same chat room messaging relate not only to
time that everything I read seemed to be out computer literacy but to the specific con-
of context. So I turned from my screen and text of computer conferencing. In fact, this
began discussing ideas with the nearest avail- was my problem for the first couple of
able person to me. We decided to become part- years that I started to use academic chat
ners. rooms in writing classes. During an hon-
What Brad’s discussion shows is that ors composition course, I remember ask-
he had trouble understanding the various ing the small group of students, “Can you
simultaneous conversations. There is a lot see the difference between my long mes-
of information to process when eighteen sages that take a while to write and your
students are participating in a chat room short, interactive, and responsive mes-
discussion, making students who have not sages?” What was clear is that I was still
used chat programs before feel bom- writing elaborate position statements with
barded and overwhelmed. To adapt and support, just as I had been taught to do
participate effectively with others, stu- as a graduate student. However, in chat,
dents have to develop a way of making long messages are not effective because
sense of the data and getting used to the they take too long and they reflect a pri-
rapid delivery of multiple writers’ mes- oritizing of single-authored writing as
sages. Reassuring students that this flurry opposed to the collaborative writing that
of activity is part of the process helps them students do in chat rooms. What makes
to overcome initial frustration. good writing in chat rooms is not the same
Another example of how inexperience as good writing in an extended essay, for
may inhibit chat room productivity is of- example. I had to curb my own learned
fered by an eighteen-year-old male tech- behaviors of unidirectional writing to
nical writing student, Bryan, who told me adapt to this new medium of intercom-
in an e-mail message that he was uncom- munication. This point is important to
fortable with the speed of chat dialogue. discuss with students so that they develop
He said, “I couldn’t keep up with the dis- their understanding and application of
cussion. By the time I typed out a re- chat room writing conventions.
sponse, the conversation was on To achieve the goal of 100% participa-
something else, and so I just deleted my tion among students, teachers have to
message and tried to read up on what was monitor conferences carefully to know
being discussed. Then, same problem of who is sending messages and who isn’t. If
being too slow would happen. I just a student is not participating, teachers can
couldn’t get in on it.” Bryan’s frustration inquire about the student’s feelings. For
with the writing-based dialogue is not example, I directed a message to a male
unusual, particularly for those who do not basic writing student, Tom, who had not
type quickly or aren’t used to writing in- sent a single message during the initial
teractively. Moreover, students such as icebreaker chat: “Tom, did the storm hit
Bryan, who feel less capable as writers, your home or work place?” By asking this
tend to be less assertive in chat rooms, direct but unthreatening question, I at-
perhaps from a sense of self-conscious- tempted to encourage his participation.
How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning 167Indeed, it worked. It seems that some stu- participation. Elaborating on the connec-
dents need that direct invitation to par- tions between active learning, critical writ-
ticipate, whether they are in oral group ing, and collegiality in collaboration are
discussions or in computer chat rooms. useful in getting the point across without
Once invited, they interact. Also, teach- having to invoke the university policy on
ers must draw out shy students who have appropriate academic conduct. However,
communicative anxieties about being ig- I do at times have to reinforce ethical
nored by others or about being sent in- conferencing practices when a student
flammatory messages. Critics such as does not uphold them, a problem address-
Daisley have argued that being ignored ed in the next section.
by others is emotionally devastating. With
this knowledge, teachers can discuss the
Approaches to Teacher and
effects of rejection and encourage students
Student Interaction
to include everyone in the conversations.
To orient students to chat room proto- As I work to construct an active learning
cols, I ask students to chat about what space, I define appropriate moderator
they think comprises a successful and roles for my interaction with students in
unsuccessful conference, during which chat rooms. Moderator roles comprise stu-
they usually identify responsibility toward dent-teacher dynamics as well as particu-
others as a key factor. Here are two repre- lar responsibilities, which include
sentative responses of the class’s concep- welcoming new chat participants, facili-
tions of successful and unsuccessful chat tating dialogue, fostering a sense of com-
room dialogue: “A successful chat is one munity, setting ground rules, and
in which all comments are responded to enforcing the rules of etiquette. In addi-
and all questions are answered. It is one tion, teachers must construct task-focused
where no one person gets left out, by de- chat activities that keep students work-
sign or accident [. . .] . An unsuccessful ing toward a goal. As a moderator, the
chat is where people just want to ‘listen teacher needs to make the best use of chat
in’ so to speak. It is where everyone is conferencing, allowing inspired and mo-
waiting for someone else to say something tivated students to develop strands of dia-
so you end up watching a blank screen” logue. Confused and inquisitive students
and “A successful interchange is everyone also need the discursive space to articu-
participating actively [. . .] . Insufficient late questions for clarification and elabo-
responses make the interchange appear ration. Like people in conversations, those
slow, tiring, and dry. Questions are not in chat exchanges need some room to
answered properly or jokes are not re- develop, to build rapport, gather infor-
sponded to with laughter. I would rate mation, and make decisions. My goal in
that as unsuccessful chat.” Both students chat is not to homogenize student re-
define responsive messaging as critical to sponses but to provide options and to
successful conferencing. encourage students to contribute in ways
In addition to this discussion about that allow them to experiment, explore,
responsibility, teachers can establish the teach, inquire, challenge, understand, and
ground rules for what is acceptable and interrelate. Moreover, I want to encour-
effective participation in the classroom age chat room dialogue that is stimulat-
chats. In turn, students share responsi- ing in order to foster both students’
bility for each other through respectful curiosity and their enjoyment of language,
168 TETYC, December 2000the medium, and the subjects of the dis- of the criticism “stupidly” and the upper-
cussions. An appropriate moderator role case letters, which typically signify shout-
also promotes a critical perspective on the ing, emotional emphasis, and anger.
technology used. Janice’s message signified that she was
To construct a more comprehensive shouting her frustration and criticism of
sense of moderator roles, I considered the position that films with female casts
scholarship on participant roles, partici- are only enjoyed by women, and not by
pant styles of exchange, and moderator men. If I were to “moderate” this confer-
roles (Peha; Hardy, Hodgson, and ence by urging her to temper her inten-
McConnell; Kerr). Since the research did sity, I might have attempted to deflate the
not fully address how I might co-construct intensity of Janice’s frustration at the bi-
intellectual, social, and political writing ased reception of women as subject mat-
spaces with students, I began to search ter in film; this approach would
for words that would describe dynamic undermine the power of Janice’s feminist
and collaborative teacher-student interac- critique. Furthermore, if I were to silence
tion. In the next section, I analyze vari- or take control over her messaging, I
ous approaches to moderating student would undermine my goals of promoting
conferences to present readers with strat- students’ critical literacy, sense of agency,
egies for successful chat. and political activism. Therefore, “mod-
erator” doesn’t fully accommodate my
pedagogical goals. Instead, I encouraged
Moderator Roles
further debate on the topic by asking,
Since the most common term in com- “What makes a ‘chick flick’ unsuitable to
puter-mediated conferencing scholarship a male audience and suitable for a female
has been “moderator,” this is where I be- audience?” As a result, students produced
gan my inquiry. Considering the various an energetic discussion about our culture’s
connotations of the word, I realized that values regarding women and communi-
to be a moderator suggests that a teacher cation, work, art, relationships, and so
encourages students to avoid intense ex- forth.
pression in order to have messages that Another common term in composition
are uniformly moderate. More specifically, pedagogy is “facilitator,” which literally
the word, “moderate,” calls to mind con- means “one who makes easier or less dif-
cepts such as conservatism, status quo, ficult” (OED 1989). In part, facilitation
and caution. In contrast, I want students accurately describes the process of assist-
to struggle in learning, to challenge ing students in accessing conferencing
norms, and to imagine alternatives. I don’t software and learning messaging conven-
want to erase difference or level out in- tions. While I strive to provide clear and
tensity because intensity enervates action simple instruction about using the soft-
by providing a powerful impetus for ware, I am not trying to make communi-
change. For example, a female student cation appear easy to perform. As teachers
named Janice boldly posed a rhetorical of writing know, effective rhetoric is never
question, “Why are films with men en- easy to achieve, either in print-based writ-
joyed by everyone and films with female ing or electronic writing. What makes
casts stupidly referred to as ‘CHICK computer conferences peculiarly chal-
FLICKS’?” Her frustration about the lenging is that students send their mes-
double standard comes through in her use sages to multiple audience members in
How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning 169rapid electronic delivery. Recognizing the in terms of how, why, when, and with
substantial challenges of time and audi- whom to use each medium.
ence that academic chat rooms pose, I A term that may better describe the
want to complicate electronic written ex- rhetorical action I was performing in the
change for students who may have popu- example above is “intervention,” which
lar notions of entertainment-oriented suggests interference in the communica-
Internet chat rooms. tion among students. The connotations
Without being reductive, teachers of “intervention” have both violent (mili-
should encourage students to discover all tary) and proactive implications (Alcohol-
the possible uses of electronic media by ics Anonymous) in popular discourse. In
directly asking, for example, “How could academic contexts involving computer-
this medium of communication serve our assisted rhetoric, James E. Porter advo-
group work, class discussions, and shar- cates an interventionist presence in
ing of out-of-class assignments?” In re- classroom conferences, promoting ethical
sponse to this chat message from me, writing practices: “[. . .] teachers should
composition students sent thoughtful not try to control their students’ writing,
messages such as the following from but [. . .] in their effort to avoid control
Bruce: “I like the convenience of discuss- they should not give up their role as in-
ing my part of the paper with my partner terveners, their role as teachers of com-
who can respond to me from any termi- mitment” (135).
nal on campus or at her apartment.” While As “interveners,” teachers have to con-
this previous message asserts the value of trol undesirable behaviors, promote de-
using conferencing to complete collabo- sired behaviors, and, as a last resort, take
rative writing assignments, another com- punitive actions for prohibited behaviors.
position student, Lili, questioned its If other students’ well being and respect
usefulness in another context: “I’d rather are at stake, then I have to adopt the role
talk than type if we’re in the same room. of “intervener,” by asserting the codes of
It just doesn’t make sense to me.” This university conduct or at least initiating a
counter position had to be addressed in discussion along these lines. For instance,
order to show this student the important while working with students in a class-
distinctions between oral talk and com- room chat among a small honors compo-
puter chat. Further, this question war- sition class, I had to address the various
ranted discussion about the benefits and legal issues related to a student named
drawbacks of each form of communica- Tom, who played a practical joke on an-
tion in terms of achieving particular peda- other student Jim. Since the class was very
gogical goals. The chat accomplished small, students had gotten to know one
more than an oral lecture from me because another quite well and shared a friendly,
all students could participate in the dis- informal relationship. The prank occurred
cussion, which would have been limited when Jim left his computer terminal with-
by number of speakers and points of view out logging off the system, leaving his
in an oral discussion. Considering what account information still current and ac-
we accomplished as a class during this cessible by anyone. To teach Jim a lesson
discussion, I didn’t so much facilitate, about the security risks of not logging off
meaning simplify, exchange as enable stu- the system properly and, in turn, provid-
dents to develop a more complex under- ing others with access to his account, Tom
standing of the media of chat and speech wrote the following message through Jim’s
170 TETYC, December 2000account: “I am gay.” During the next class changes also are used to complicate is-
session, I discussed several relevant issues sues and to discover competing perspec-
with students. First of all, there was the tives and courses of action.
legal problem of Tom posing as Jim and For example, in a chat about the ethi-
using his account. Even in jest, using cal elements of inflammatory language
another’s account is a misconduct that online, students had differing opinions
violates academic integrity. Second, there about whether it was unethical to “flame”
was the issue of homophobia, which can (trade angry insults) online. Some thought
have potentially harmful consequences. that flaming was “stupid” or “a waste of
If classmates perceived Jim as “coming time”; others thought it was “fun” and
out” as a gay man, some students may “funny to see others’ reactions”; and still
have reacted with gossip, exclusion, ver- others thought that flaming was “mean,”
bal abuse, and even violence. Third, the “rude,” and “hurtful.” As students articu-
manner in which Tom tried to embarrass lated views, they found both common
Jim into learning his lesson by causing ground and differing views, surprising
suspicion about his sexual orientation had some who could not imagine a conflict-
homophobic implications on Tom’s part. ing position to their own. Therefore, I find
As a result, we all learned valuable les- the term “negotiator” inadequate to de-
sons about chat room participation, prac- scribe attempts to draw out differences
tical jokes, and university policies rather than to put an end to them in stu-
concerning student accounts and security dents’ writing. As an alternative to con-
protection. As the intervener, I initiated sensus, I ask students to consider what
critical analysis of the message’s emotion- they believe, what they can support, and
ally charged meanings. While interven- what they are willing to act upon and
tion as critique and challenge accurately why—this describes a dynamic critical
describes what I do with students in chat, rhetoric, in which I play a part as students
I feel that the term “intervener” connotes build an interactively written text.
intrusive policing, which I rarely have to Another term, “coordinator,” denotes
do with students. Mostly, I provide feed- the tasks of scheduling and regulating
back about students’ chat writing to en- participants as teachers do in conducting
courage participation and critical course-based chat room assignments.
reflection. However, teachers can’t control chats in
Another term I have come across in the same way that coordinators control
discussions about leveling the hierarchy speaking conventions. Like conversations,
within student-teacher interactions is “ne- chat room discussions are responsive to
gotiation.” Like mediation, negotiation participant’s input, which makes ex-
involves at least two differing parties and changes fluid rather than scheduled and
often also includes an intermediary agent, orderly. For example, an upper-level tech-
who enables a compromise or decision, nical writing student Mary, had the rel-
agreeable to all parties. However, unlike evant background and expertise on the
most negotiation situations that aim for group’s project topic, and, therefore, an-
closure or decision-making, successful swered members’ questions and guided
chat exchanges often are designed to be the direction of the writing and research.
exploratory or expressive, not resolute or Also, Mary praised helpful contributions
consensual. While making decisions is by other students: “I like that idea. It will
one action chat users perform, chat ex- work well with the stuff I have on why
How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning 171this building needs to be torn down com- leaders and followers. Furthermore, to
pletely instead of remodeled.” In addition, insist on my own authority as the role
Mary solicited volunteers to complete model would hinder the class’s learning,
work: “We still need the data on cost of including my own, which would be a
dumping the demolished building rem- pedagogical mistake.
nants. Can someone do that by next For example, technical writing stu-
class?” If I had coordinated this group’s dents with much experience in chat writ-
interactions, I might not have used Mary’s ing taught the class how to use various
expertise, which allowed her to anticipate nonverbal cues in our messages to con-
problems and work needs; I might have vey emotions, actions, and gestures (i.e.,
squelched her effective leadership, which ¨␣˘ , which suggests a smile or pleasure).
enabled this group to move forward on As a result of the technical writing class
their assignment and collaborate success- discussions, I learned how vital these sym-
fully. As a coordinator, not only might I bols are in clearly constructing the tone,
have encouraged Mary and other students a writer’s identities, and writer-reader re-
to be passive, but I would have also done lationships in electronic messages. More-
a disservice to the group’s progress be- over, my students taught me that real-time
cause I did not have the expertise on chat exchange enables the class to share
building demolition or construction to in the teaching as well as the learning—a
guide them effectively. Instead, I promoted lesson we discussed as we defined the
students’ agency in group projects, not my characteristics of our chat room exchanges
own authority in order to enhance their and relationships. Students showed me
learning, which coordinating does not that we could be immersed in the act of
fully enable me to do. writing as discursive play and experimen-
Similar to the role of guiding students tation, participating in a game of literacy
is leading them, which also suggests go- education, which we all enjoyed and re-
ing first and taking the initiative. In cre- sponded to with intensity and genuine
ating an assignment, teachers act first by curiosity (Daisley). In turn, students took
setting up assignments and activities, tak- on their responsible teaching roles with
ing the first step toward their learning and pride and serious application.
guiding them through learning experi-
ences to a new place of understanding.
We define requirements and delegate tasks Conclusions about Teacher
to our students. However, in this model and Student Interactions
of teacher-student interaction, the teacher In this somewhat exploratory essay, I’ve
possesses the authority of the leader while identified a series of attitudes, behaviors,
students are the followers, doing as the responsibilities, tasks, desires, power dy-
teacher does. What is problematic here is namics, and models of interaction with
that some of my students have more ex- students in a context of cooperative learn-
perience with computer conferencing than ing. Perhaps the best way to approach this
I do. Being a role model places emphasis dilemma is not to determine what role
on the teacher’s performance as ideal, teachers ought to assume toward all stu-
ignoring the possibilities for students dents in all contexts. Rather, I advocate
teaching each other how to be effective that teachers determine what relationships
electronic writers. In my concept of in- they can coconstruct with students in
teraction with students, we take turns as order to best achieve pedagogical goals.
172 TETYC, December 2000As teachers build interlocutor relation- By perceiving students to be in a rela- ships with students in course-based chat tionship with instructors, teachers disrupt rooms, we shift reading and writing roles, traditional roles and subject positions of we share responsibilities of leadership and knower and nonknower. No longer team support, we mutually invite each should we think of teachers as doing other to participate, and we establish the things to students or visa versa. Rather, conventions and opportunities for discus- teachers and students are engaged in in- sion within the community and teractive learning made possible in chat cyberspace that is our classroom. Seeing rooms. Approaching chat rooms as a se- interaction with students in terms of re- ries of relationships with students pro- lationships that are constantly in flux elic- motes an awareness of the dynamic its a more responsive approach to exchanges of words, symbols, ideas, individual student concerns, particular power, and roles in which teachers and group dynamics, and unique contexts. students participate. Once writing instruc- What I’ve attempted to do is explore the tors imagine and promote a variety of in- variety of tasks, responsibilities, and roles teractive relationships in course-based that teachers consider as they initiate and chat rooms, they will more effectively in- engage students in critical language ex- spire audience awareness and rhetorical change in academic chat rooms. sensitivity. Works Cited Daisley, Margaret. “The Game of Literacy: The Meaning of Play in Computer- Mediated Communication.” Computers and Composition 11 (1994): 107-19. Gurak, Laura J. Persuasion and Privacy in Cyberspace: The Online Protests over Lotus MarketPlace and the Clipper Chip. New Haven: Yale UP, 1997. Hardy, Virginia, Vivien Hodgson, and David McConnell. “Computer Conferencing: A New Medium for Investigating Issues in Gender and Learning.” Higher Education 28 (1994): 493-18. Hawisher, Gail E. “Electronic Meetings of the Minds: Research, Electronic Discus- sions, and Composition.” Re-Imagining Computers and Composition: Teaching and Research in the Virtual Age. Ed. Gail E. Hawisher and Paul Le Blanc. Portsmouth: Boynton, 1992. 81-101. Howard, Tharon. The Rhetoric of Electronic Communities. New Directions in Comput- ers and Composition Studies Series. Greenwich: Ablex, 1997. Kerr, Elaine B. “Electronic Leadership: A Guide to Moderating Online Conferences.” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communications 29.1 (1986): 12-17. Peha, Jon M. “Debates via Computer Networks: Improving Writing and Bridging Classrooms.” T.H.E. Journal April 1997: 65-68. Porter, James. Rhetorical Ethics and Internetworked Writing. Greenwich: Ablex, 1998. Rosenbaum, Howard, and Herbert Snyder. “An Investigation of Emerging Norms in Computer Mediated Communication: An Empirical Study of Computer Conferencing.” Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting 28 (1991): 15-23. How to Conduct a Course-Based Computer Chat Room: Enabling a Space for Active Learning 173
Sullivan, Patricia, and James E. Porter. Opening Spaces: Writing Technologies and
Critical Research Practices. New Directions in Computers and Composition
Studies Series. Greenwich: Ablex, 1997.
Takayoshi, Pamela. “Building New Networks from the Old: Women’s Experiences
with Electronic Communications.” Computers and Composition 11.1 (1994):
21-35.
Turkle, Sherry. Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Simon,
1995.
Christyne A. Berzsenyi is an assistant professor at Penn State University, Wilkes-Barre, where
she teaches basic writing, technical writing, advanced business writing, honors composition,
and women’s studies courses in computer classrooms. Her research includes rhetoric and eth-
ics in computer-mediated composition and mass media.
Research Assembly Midwinter Conference
February 9–11, 2001
The annual midwinter conference sponsored by the NCTE Assembly for Research will take
place February 9-11, 2001, at the University of California-Berkeley Graduate School of Educa-
tion. The theme this year is “New Literacies for New Times: Bakhtinian Perspectives on Lan-
guage, Literacy, and Learning for the 21st Century.” For program details and registration
information, contact Caroline T. Clark, Language, Literacy, and Culture, School of Teaching
and Learning, 222A Ramseyer, 29 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, OH 43210-1177; phone:
614-688-5449; e-mail: clark.644@osu.edu. Registration deadline is January 9, 2001. For ho-
tel reservations, contact the Durant Hotel, 2600 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704; phone: 800-
2DURANT or 510-845-8981. You must reserve a room by January 9, 2001, to receive the
special conference rate.
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