COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION

Computer-Mediated Communication and the On-Line Classroom in Distance Education: From Marks in the Sand to Computer Conferencing via Fiber Optics: A Reading Response



Computer-Mediated Communication and the On-Line Classroom in Distance Education: From Marks in the Sand to Computer Conferencing via Fiber Optics: A Reading Response

Introduction

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is communication between people where computer technology conveys the information exchanged. CMC can be direct and conducted in real time, as with instant messaging (IM) or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) where people converse using text or voice over the Internet during a simultaneous connection. CMC can also be indirect or asynchronous where the sender(s) and the receiver(s) need not be online at the same time in order to exchange information, but leave messages and information for each other to discover at a later, more convenient time. Podcasts and e-mail are examples of asynchronous CMC (Zane, 1995). The degree of computer mediation can also vary from computer network enablement to sophisticated cognitive enhancement. For example, computer technology can act as a simple communication channel without any value added, such as a personal e-mail where a computer is used to create a text message, which is then sent via the Internet to another computer unchanged.

Computer technology can also help to create a rich information exchange environment by providing support for a range of media, a high level of interactivity, and the integration of information management capabilities such as business intelligence or customized information retrieval. This paper presents the reading response of the article Computer-Mediated Communication and the On-Line Classroom in Distance Education: From Marks in the Sand to Computer Conferencing via Fiber Optics in a concise way.

Essential Information

CMC allows information from one person to be transferred to another via computer technology. But although computer technology is crucial, CMC is often best understood from a transdisciplinary viewpoint using various combinations of social, cognitive/ psychological, linguistic, cultural, technical, and political perspectives and frameworks while focusing on people, knowledge representation, technology, system architectures, and process management. Relevant disciplines include psychology, anthropology, sociology, human media studies, human-computer interaction, communication, telecommunications, computer science, and artificial intelligence (Zane, 1995).

A recently published CMC framework by Spitzberg identifies the following important dimensions: coorientation, appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, task success, satisfaction, and relationship development. Coorientation refers to the degree of similarity of the intentions and message content, and the receiver(s) interpretation—in other words, the degree to which the sender and receiver achieve a shared understanding of the communicated message, and the degree to which the intended interpretation is achieved.

Content Summary

In words of Zane (1995) appropriateness is the message's perceived applicability to the specific context. Effectiveness is the degree to which the desired objectives are achieved. Satisfaction is the sense of gratification associated with the fulfillment of the expectations and goals of the participants in the communication. Efficiency is the relative economy with which desired outcomes are achieved. Finally, rela-tional development represents the degree of breadth, depth, intimacy, closeness, commitment, and attraction achieved in a ...