Implementing Computer Mediated Communication in the College Classroom

Abstract

The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in the college classroom was examined using survey data from eighty-nine undergraduate sociology students. Through pre-test and follow-up data, it was determined that most students were open to using CMC and that openness was highly correlated with later positive experiences with CMC. Through a series of OLS regressions, it was then established that students' rating of their CMC experience is shaped by their particular use of the system, as well as by whether or not CMC participation is required. Neither gender nor minority status were significantly related to CMC ratings, although this may be due to the similar class backgrounds of the students involved in the study.