By: Chelse Melina
Posted In: News
Photo credit: Salve Regina University
Paula Buldoc, an adjunt English professor and assistant to the director of Academic Advising, has recently signed on to AIM and now has a screename.
Photo credit: Salve Regina University
Dr. Ernest Rothman, in the Mathematics Department, uses AIM to help his students with homework.
ChelseBMelina (11:07:26 AM): hi Dr. Rothman —
salvemath (11:07:33 AM): hello! ChelseBMelina (11:07:34 AM): is now an okay time to chat? salvemath (11:07:39 AM): sure! ChelseBMelina (11:07:51 AM): great… I love the enthusiasm! lol salvemath (11:08:07 AM): just that kind of guy There is no doubt that the Internet has changed the way college students study, research and communicate. Whether exploring the plethora of information out there through LexisNexis or EBSCOhost, or Googl-ing a word or concept for spelling or a definition, the World Wide Web has become an essential and vital part of college student’s lives. On a more social level, the Internet allows students to keep in touch with family and friends in other states and even in other countries. Programs, such as American Online’s Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo!’s Yahoo! Messenger, provide students with the ability to chat with other users in a quick, almost instantaneous time frame. Dr. Ernest Rothman, associate professor and chair of the Mathematical Sciences Department at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, has been an avid instant messenger since the early to mid 1980s. His instant messaging days started while he was attending Graduate school at Brown University. In fact, Rothman started using instant messaging on an IBM mainframe, using a program called, “Tell” on CMS (an operating system that was often used on IBM mainframes). Later, Rothman switched to the “Talk” program on the UNIX system. Since then, there have been numerous advances in the IM (instant message) field, which Rothman has learned and come to embrace. In his early instant messaging years, Rothman utilized the program as a form of communicating with his thesis advisor, friends at home and at Brown and friends and researchers across the globe. “Instant messaging is cheaper than a phonecall to Mexico,” Rothman says. Rothman remembers having the ability to talk with a friend in Israel. “When I got to Cornell in 1988-1993, I had some interesting IMs with a friend who was doing a post doc in Israel during the first Gulf War.” Rothman continues, “I now know I often knew when the scud were falling before it was shown on television.” Since coming to Salve Regina in the fall of 1993, Rothman has always tried to maintain easy communication with his students both in and out of the classroom. In order to help students better understand homework or class assignments, Rothman makes himself available via instant messaging. Rothman explains, “Some students are a bit reluctant to come to office hours or ask questions while in class… IMing gives them an alternative way to ask for help.” Rothman realizes that some students are shy or bashful when it comes to asking for help, both in and out of the classroom. Rothman says, “Perhaps IMing is something they are more comfortable with. After a few IM sessions, they may even feel more comfortable coming to office hours or asking questions in class. But at least they have more alternative to receive help.” At the beginning of the semester, Rothman gives students his screenname, in addition to his office telephone number, office hours and email address. Rothman’s students can simply add him to their buddylist on AIM and IM him with homework questions or ask for clarification on a concept or theory. Rothman does not ask students for their screennames, but rather gives his out so students can make the decision as to whether or not they would like to take advantage of the IMing form of communication. Rothman is signed on to his AIM screenname during his office hours and sometimes signs on for extended hours if there is an exam coming up or if it is mid-term or final season. Rothman notes, “I fielded quite a few last minute questions during the final exam period last semester, so I plan on being signed on again before exams.” Other Salve Regina professors have also considered offering IMing as a form of communication. Paula Bolduc, assistant to the director of Academic Advising and an adjunct English professor at Salve Regina, has considered taking advantage of the easy, simple to use IM form of communication. As a new IMer herself, Bolduc is amazed and amused at the possibilities IMing offers to both students and professors. “IMing is all about communication and learning. It’s a great place for brainstorming and quick communication,” Bloduc notes. Bolduc just recently signed up with AIM and now has a screenname. In using AIM to communicate with friends and students, Bolduc realizes there is a learning curve and a number of tricks to the trade that she will pick up over time. Bolduc says, “First, you have to be a fast typer!” In addition, Bolduc notes that as a new AIM user, she is slowly but surly picking up on a number of AIM acronyms, such as lol (laugh out loud), brb (be right back), ttys (talk to you soon) and gl (good luck). Having to learn new lingo and new methods of communicating has reminded Bolduc that everyone is a student. Bolduc says, “Learning about AIM keeps me fresh and in some ways humbles me, which in itself is not a bad thing at all.” Another major benefit to incorporating IM into the classroom and the learning environment? According to Bolduc, IMing will save time. “So much time will be saved, both in and out of the classroom, when people are familiar with each other,” Bolduc notes. Bolduc is teaching a weekend workshop on Virginia Wolfe this spring, in which she plans on using IM to get in touch with and communicate with workshop attendees prior to the workshop to enhance the workshop atmosphere. Rothman just recently completed a book entitled, “Mac OS X Panther for UNIX Geeks,” which he co-authored with Brian Jepson. The book, which was published by O’Reilly, focuses on a collaborative editing program, a program which allows IMers to work together to edit and work together in real time. Although Rothman has not used this level of IMing with Salve Regina students yet, he feels that technology is progressing and things will be going there in the near future. Phil Shapiro, a teacher in the Washington D.C. area, used this elaborate form of editing and working together during a blizzard in January of 2005. According to Shapiro, “On this blizzardy day, a fictional story was written by one adult and two youth, each with their own cursor in the shared writing window of SubEthaEdit software.” Throughout the co-writing and editing process, Shapiro and his students brainstormed and developed a story plot all through the SubEthaEdit program. Shapiro notes, “The writers sought input from each other, even mid-sentence. We literally finished each others’ sentences.” The world of IMing has evolved over the years and continues to develop and grow into a phenomenal communication alternative. Although it cannot be a mere replacement or substitute for other forms of communication, IMing has allowed college students world wide the opportunity to communicate with ease and flexibility, all from the comfort of their dorm room or apartment. The possibilities with IMing are endless. So, TTYS and until then, GL! 😉
