Internet Communication

North-South School Partnerships in the framework of UNESCO –

Collaborating on ESD projects

Berlin, Germany, 22 – 26 November 2009

Internet Communication in

School Partnerships

Internet Communication in

School Partnerships

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

I. General notes on internet communication (advantages & disadvantages)

II. Introduction of the most common internet services & tools

III. Practical exercise: Which media/ internet services/ tools fit your needs?

How do we use Internet communication for our partnership?

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

General aspects of internet

communication (advantages & disadvantages in

comparison to face-to-face communication)

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Objections & FearsFacilities (school, internet cafe, home)

Technical knowledge (hardware & software)

Communicative & social objections

I General aspects of internet communication

Why do we not use Internet communication for our partnership?

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Objections & FearsScam/ Spam

No social control

No control of personal data

Internet communciation is trivial

I General aspects of internet communication

Business OfferWin

50.000 $ NOW

Re: Confirm

Prize won!

RE: Partnership Invitation

Letter From Dr Amro Al-

astal

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Aspects: Place & Distances

Advantages:

• Daily meeting without moving is possible!

• Neutral ground

Disadvantages:

• distance = less social control/ less personal obstructions.

People are more direct/ more offendingI General aspects of internet communication

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Aspects: TimeAdvantage:

• Make it fit your time needs. Appointments not necessarily needed!

Disadvantage:

• asynchrony

communication delay

I General aspects of internet communication

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Aspects: Language

• Chat language

• reduced language

• Foreign language: Is the language the mother tongue of one group?

Contents of communication can be lost

I General aspects of internet communication

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

I General aspects of internet communication

A: Hey whats up? How R U 2day?

B: good and u?

A: thx 4 ur mail. read it just now ;-)

B: did u like the pic?

A: yes haha ROFLMAO

Where did u take it?

B: oops phone. Brb

A: tyt!

B: oki back. Srry

Btw that was lisa. She sends greets 2u

A: thx

B: she has a new bf

A: lol. Again?

A: yeah ^_^

B: srry have 2go now. Ttyl!

A: sure! CU l8r take care!

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Aspects: non personal

• Aspects of communication are missing (gesture etc.)

• Words & Language play a bigger role

• Highly dependent on perceptions

• High rate of misunderstandings

• social control missing

Consequences: cyber bullying/ mobbing etc.I General aspects of internet communication

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Aspects: Anonymity

Advantages:

• Can help to establish contacts (e.g. shy persons)

• Reduces social inequality

Disadvantages:

• Leads to more misuse and social misbehaviourI General aspects of internet communication

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Aspects: Communication Behaviour

I General aspects of internet communication

Can be affected by local circumstances or by social customs (e.g. attention for the chat partner)

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

I General aspects of internet communication

Cultural Aspects:

Cultures are very complex,

Communication is very complex

Intercultural communication: extremely complex!

example individualism vs. collectivism

universalism vs. particularism

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

It is ZEBRA... And so delicious!

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

IT IS ZEBRA ......... AND SO DELICIOUS

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

ConclusionFacilities

clear circumstances of communication (at school? At home?)

Technical knowledge

allow your students to help you, there is always someone willing to give technical assistance!

Communicative & social objections Try to reduce social barriers (e.g. create personal

atmosphere)

Create awareness about internet communication disadvantages and possible cultural differences

I General aspects of internet communication

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Internet Services & ToolsEmail

Newsletter

Chat/ Messenger

Video Portals

Social Networks

Own Websites/ Forum

What fits your projectwork best?

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Email

II Internet Services and Tools

Services:

MSN

Yahoo

Google Mail

Local services

Possibilities:

- Send text

- Send files

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Email

II Internet Services and Tools

Advantages

• independet of time and place

• little technics and technical knowledge needed

Disadvantages

• Asynchronity

• Limited file size

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Newsletter/ Twitter

Can rather be used to reach publicities/ less useful for group interaction

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Chat/ Messenger

Services:

Skype

VOIP

MSN Messenger

ICQ

Chat Systems

Possibilities:

- Written Chat

- Voice Talk

- Video Chat

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Chat/ Messenger

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Chat/ Messenger Advantages

• no continous maintenance needed

• less time consuming

• direct/ personal communication is possible

• students are forced to deal with another

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Chat/ Messenger Disadvantages

• technical equipment needed: webcam, headset

• fast internet connection needed

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Chat/ Messenger Recommodation

• build pairs of 2 or 3 students

• give students time to introduce themselves/ talk about own topic

• at the same time: give a specific topic to discuss

• think about the use of moderators/ mediators (can be the teacher)

• analyse the chat/ problems with the students afterwards

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Video portals

Services:

YouTube

Myvideo

Clipfish

Sevenload

Youku

Possibilities:

-Watch video streamings (flash)

-Publish videos

-Create your own TV Channel

-Interact with other members (comment, rate, private messages..)II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Video portals

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Video portals

Advantages:

• raise attention/ reach huge publicities

• can easily be implemented/ linked

• possibility to earn money (if videos are very popular)

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Video portals

Disadvantages:

• everyone can see

• less social control (comments etc.)

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Networks

Services:

• Facebook

• Myspace

• Local Social Networks:

• SchülerVZ (Germany)

Possibilities:

Various services and applications available (Private Messages, Forum, calender, event manager, group manager, walls, chats)

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Networks

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Networks

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Networks

Advantages:

• Meets the communication behaviour of your students

• Combination of private interests and project

• little efforts needed in administration

• enables students to stay in contact

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Social Networks

Disadvantages:

• No own label/ less beneficial for external project presentation

• Many possibilities of distraction given

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Own Website and/or Forum

Services

Various free software available to generate own websites (no html skills needed)

Various free forum/ board systems available (Bulletin Boards)

Possibilities:

Almost everything is possible

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Own Website and/or Forum

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Own Website and/or Forum

Advantages:

• You can fit everything your needs

• You can control all contents and contacts

• perfect for external presentation & project documentation

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Own Website and/or Forum

Disadvantages:

• High technical knowledge needed

• Administration and maintenace is very time consuming

• might not meet the interests & regular communication behaviour of your students website can easily get unattractive for students (especially after the project)

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Own Website and/or Forum

Recommodation:

• Calculate cost-value ration very well

• Don‘t put high efforts in something that no one is using/ watching

• If students are willing and able: let them participate in a responsible manner

II Internet Services and Tools

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

Practical levelWhich media & internet services fit your

needs?

III Practical Level

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

criteria of choice:• Which technical possibilities do we have/ can we

have?

• Which services/ tools apply our needs?

• Whom do we want to adress too? (exchange groups, schools, other students, everyone?)

• How much time are we willing to invest?

• How many people do we have willing to support?

• Do we want continuity within the project or is it a one-time project?

• How effective are the used media? (cost-benefit ratio)

Internet Communication in School Partnerships

criteria of success:• Do your students identify with the project

contents? Does the project meet the private interests of your students?

• Does the way of communication in the project meet the regular communication behaviour of your students?

• Do the students have a possiblity to receive a positive feedback on their media products?

Optimal way students participate and volunteer for the project in their free time!