In which subjects did you investigate students using chat?

Re-an Muller: For the purpose of my research study, I used my first-year Business Management students.

How did you get the idea?

Re-an Muller: Ever since I started lecturing, I had a problem with a lack of class participation. I thought this might be due to the fact that a lot of students don't feel comfortable giving "verbal feedback" in class. And this got me thinking about how I could get them to talk to me without placing them "on the spot" in class. The majority of students in South Africa use their cell phones on a daily basis to communicate with each other. After a quick poll in my class, I came to the conclusion that eighty percent of my class had access to Facebook mobile and use it on a daily basis. So this is where it all started, and I started using it in my classes.

What has your experience with it been so far?

Re-an Muller: The students took some time (about two classes) to really get into it and start using it, but as soon as they were used to it, we were on a roll. One thing that must be highlighted is the fact that it cannot be used in isolation: you have to incorporate verbal feedback with it. Ask follow-up questions; let the students assess the answers.

I need to be honest and say here, though, that like all things in life, it has its pros and cons. On the positive side, class participation was definitely higher, and I got clear feedback - not like with traditional verbal feedback where you cannot always hear what the students are saying. On the negative side, sometimes it appears that it is always the same students who provide all the answers, and you also have the problem of some students constantly using their cell phones in class.

However, overall it was definitely a positive experience, and I believe it can enhance class participation if used correctly.

In which instructional contexts do you find it useful? Where do you think it doesn't fit?

Re-an Muller: I believe it works excellently in testing the students' preliminary knowledge, and it also works great with questions where you want the students to name or identify certain aspects, for example, of a case study. It does not work that great with explanations or questions when students need to write a lot. In such cases, they prefer to respond verbally.