According to a recent article in Business 2.0, e-mail use is dropping among teens in favor of real time IM and text messaging. In my courses at IU, we share a lot of information via e-mail, but we also have weekly discussions via IM. While we also use Breeze for the more "formal" classroom-like discussions, IM is a quick, free, easy and efficient way to share information in a synchronous manner. Anyone with Internet access (either on a computer or mobile device) can join the chat. Also, there are many free multi-protocal IM clients available (including two of my favorites: meebo – web based – and Trillian – Windows based desktop download) that allow you to combine your various IM IDs so that you aren't tied to a stand alone IM protocol.
While texting is also wildly popular among teens, it is a greater leap to see its regular use in an educational setting. For one thing, it is more of a broadcast application for short messages vs a synchronous multi-person communication tool like IM. Also, while most cell companies offer monthly plans for a set number of text messages, some people still pay a fee per text message received and sent. In addition, there are greater privacy issues involved with sharing a cell phone number versus an IM ID which can be easily changed or discarded. Over the years, I have had a slew of IM IDs and I often create a new one for each new "group" that I join. I would be far more hesitant to give out my cell phone number to a group in a class.
technorati tags:meebo, trillian, mlearning
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Texting does have its advantages over IM with the fact that you can text where ever you have a signal. And – just as you pointed out – you can communicate in real-time if needed. But you can’t transfer files as often. And then there’s something to be said about the speed of composing messages. If it was between texting and IM, I’d say that it depends on the situation to decide which is better.
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OliviaB.
San Francisco DUI lawyer