IM in Education - Distance Learning & Keeping Up

[SonorkGuy]

Hi! - I'm a bit surprised that there's not more talk here about IM in education. It seems to me that it would be a "natural"?!

Public schools could deploy their own private IM networks - for a variety of reasons - maintaining a sense of "community" or "school spirit", reaching out to and communicating parents and other concerned parties about issues related to the school or specific students, providing a "trusted" communications network for kids, faculty, staff, etc. to keep in touch with each other - and even for allowing kids who are away (ill, travelling, etc.) to keep up with schoolwork remotely (there are ways to do this even within an IM environment...just depends on the technologies being used and integrated).

Also, for distance learning, there is HUGE potential here. Again, private IM networks integrated with and/or using conference rooms, 1-1 message sessions, webapps integrated with various db's (student data, subject matter, etc.) could do a lot. here. We're working with one org (www.irrodl.org - International Review of Research for Online & Distance Learning) to look into this, and I think it could be a great constructive avenue for IM technology.

What do you guys think?

[Spider_man]

I agree that IM would be very beneficial to schools for numerous reasons, but I have never heard of a school that utilizes it. Do they consider it a security risk or sumthin? Im sure they could get a private IM service but it probably would exceed their measly public school budget. That's America for ya', so very little priority placed on public education.

[twistedmetal]

I would have to agree with SM on this one. My school just finally gave up on big brother reasently, so there is always an IM client on the computers, mostly MSN. My school's rules are 'no sending of network messages' and 'no email' and you get hurrassed by messages when you enter a log on, or even by a teacher, or librarian. Why? They have absolutly no idea fof the concept of IM. For god sake, half of them dont even know what IM means, wait, they dont even know how to start a computer. This is an awesome idea for so many reasons. My school is just opening up to its computer related offices, and maybe if I introduce this web site, and topic along with others, my self, along with my network admin might be able to convince my school board. And their cheaky! so it wont be easy!

[SonorkGuy]

well, regarding budget...they'd probably spend less time on money on a GOOD private IM network than they spend on blocking the public ones (and the related software). It does NOT need to cost much. also...

if they used it adminstratively as well, it would pay for itself in saved phone costs, paper, and work/time lost, i bet...not to mention the benefits the school - and the students - could gain. they should consider it - at least check out the options.

Regards,

[Jeff]

Actually, I know that many colleges are using instant messaging more and more, particularly for recruiting athletes. NCAA regulations limit the contact between a coach and potential student athlete, but this only limits phone calls, personal meetings and emails. Many coaches are using instant messaging as a way to get around the NCAA limitations.

I've also seen colleges where you can contact admission officers via public IM networks. Makes sense, in my opinion, since nearly every teenager I know uses instant messaging already.

As for blocking public IMs, I don't think this is very common at the collegiate level. The main concerns I've seen at schools are over P2P file sharing and fair-use of bandwidth. At the high school level, it's just the opposite; they generally frown on or try to prevent the use of instant messaging. Apparently they see it as a form of electronic "note passing."