Selwyn (2000) studied a particular discussion group from the United Kingdom (UK). �The SENCo forum is specifically oriented toward special needs coordinators (commonly referred to as SENCos), the UK title given to teachers and professionals supporting students with special education needs� (Selwyn, 2000, 14). Prior to its current 900 subscribers, SENCo was initially developed to provide these professionals with a connection to others who shared the same complex responsibilities. Clearly, with so many subscribers, there was a definite need for this type of discussion forum.
Yet, how effective are such discussion forums in creating virtual communities among teachers (Selwyn, 2000)? The forum discussed in this article served as the following purposes for its participants: information exchange, empathetic exchanges, and a virtual respite. Even though a forum for such purposes is quite necessary to teachers, no real sense of community was formed among members. Most participants seemed solely to be posting threads for self-serving purposes without much of a concern for the needs of others. �In the end, discussion groups such as the SENCo forum cannot be expected to be more than sites of information and empathetic exchange among disparate professionals whose sense of community lies elsewhere� (Selwyn, 2000, 49).
Standard TF-V.D. states that competent technology facilitators must be able to use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning. This article directly relates to this standard because Selwyn studied the effectiveness of an online collaboration among UK professionals who support students with special education needs. This type of collaboration, although seemingly unsuccessful with the SENCo group in forming a community, does offer another possibility for information exchange. This possibility alone, with or without a sense of community, should still be considered an advantage of CMC.
It was disheartening to read of the many negatives Selwyn found of the studied discussion forum interactions. Yet, I am not discouraged from continuing to believe in the possibility of the successful development of a virtual community. This article presented only one particular forum, so there may already be discussion groups which have had more success. I hope to read of online teacher discussion groups which realized the formation of a virtual community among its members.
Selwyn, N. (August 2000). Creating a connected community? Teachers�
use of an electronic discussion group. Teachers College Record, 102,
4.
i
l
l
H
a
r
t
m
a
n
ISTE NETS
NJCCCS
About Me
Reflections/Artifacts:
Standard I
Standard II
Standard III
Standard IV
Standard V
Standard VI
Standard VII
Standard VIII
Critiques:
Standard I
Standard II
Standard III
Standard IV
Standard V
Standard VI
Standard VII
Standard VIII