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There is much research into educational uses of Internet chat tools. These are forms of instant messaging (IM), which are referred to in the academic literature as synchronous computer-mediated communication (synchronous CMC). This form of messaging between two or more people is synchronous because the people send and receive messages immediately. The computer is mediating the communication only by acting to deliver the messages. Mediation should not be confused with moderation, which is optional but not required.

While looking further at how chat technologies are used in education, I noticed how it is used at George Washington University. As described on their ISS Help FAQs there is a communication account created for all registered students which allows access to both course information and communication tools.

If you're generating a log of your chat sessions, remember the Daylight Savings Time shift tonight may cause a jump in your timestamps.

I've been distracted lately by having to deal with some nonproductive visitors to several sites. While seeing what was going on, I noticed the lack of recent tools for examining web server logs. The reporting tools such as AWstats were not sufficient, because they did not happen to examine the kind of things which I could easily see in the Apache log files. So I could better do analysis of the log data, I installed the Apache2 mod_log_sql and mod_log_mysql modules. These put the log data into database tables.

If you're trying to evaluate the use of communication tools, try searching for "chat rubric". You'll find examples such as the "collaboration rubric" at Rubrics for Bloom's Digital taxonomy in Educational Origami.

Just a short note because a coworker had not encountered the term before. "Computer-mediated communication" is the general term in academic literature for all communication between people through a computer. I've noticed the term being used as far back as 1963. Most of the literature has referred to text communications, but other media have only become widely available recently.

In a previous article I mentioned some of the differences between a library patron being in a library or a patron chatting electronically with a librarian. Educators have also been studying the differences between various online methods of interaction between teachers and students.

Online learning applications can be characterized in terms of (a) the kind of learning experience they provide, (b) whether computer-mediated instruction is primarily synchronous or asynchronous and (c) whether they are intended as an alternative or a supplement to face-to-face instruction.

Conceptual Framework for Online Learning Learning Experience Dimension Synchronicity Face-to-Face Alternative Face-to-Face Enhancement Expository Synchronous Live, one-way webcast of online lecture course with limited learner control (e.g., students proceed through materials in set sequence) Viewing webcasts to supplement in-class learning activities Expository Asynchronous Math course taught through online video lectures that students can access on their own schedule Online lectures on advanced topics made available as a resource for students in a conventional math class Active Synchronous Learning how to troubleshoot a new type of computer system by consulting experts through live chat Chatting with experts as the culminating activity for a curriculum unit on network administration Active Asynchronous Social studies course taught entirely through Web quests that explore issues in U.S. history Web quest options offered as an enrichment activity for students completing their regular social studies assignments early Interactive Synchronous Health-care course taught entirely through an online, collaborative patient management simulation that multiple students interact with at the same time Supplementing a lecture-based course through a session spent with a collaborative online simulation used by small groups of students Interactive Asynchronous Professional development for science teachers through “threaded” discussions and message boards on topics identified by participants Supplemental, threaded discussions for pre-service teachers participating in a face-to-face course on science methods

Comments are now enabled. Sorry, I hadn't noticed that I neglected to cross an i.

When configuring a chat tool, keep in mind your intended environment. Some sites will have a single room, some will have multiple rooms for different purposes, and some will need more rules than others. In ARSC, the administrators can configure the login page, help page, and chat page so you can add instructions, guidance, and advice to help your users in your site's desired type of use of the tools.

In my previous article I mentioned the Library of Congress' librarian chat tool. Their chat tips are designed for their type of usage. Keep in mind the needs of the users of your instant messaging users when maintaining your instructions.

The LOC's tips point out two issues which they are particularly interested in:

• Wait until a librarian is available for you.
  • This is apparently a one-on-one chat environment, and the librarian needs to be available to focus on your conversation.
• Type a few words at a time.
  • The librarian often only needs short answers in order to quickly guide the search in the right direction.

The Reference Desk, where librarians help people find information, has been extending its services through online tools. Chat/IM tools have been tried, along with Twitter, email, web submission forms, and others such as access to previously answered questions.

The great advantage which personal visits and chat tools have over email and other tools is that the librarian can ask questions which better identify what information is needed. Personal visits and chat also share the disadvantage that the pressure to immediately find the answer is greater, although the chat user is likely to be more willing to wait for an answer.

For libraries, one effect of time on the use of chat is that most libraries are not open 24 hours, so there are times when nobody is available to answer chat questions. Some interlibrary organizations take advantage of the Internet's wide reach to provide 24 hour reference service from those librarians who are available when a patron needs service, or using telecommuting to bring the task to the librarian.

The Library and Information Services Wiki offers a list of libraries using chat for reference services.

The general terms for all these electronic services are "digital reference services" and "virtual reference desk".