Taxonomy of Educational Chat 

Purpose

Free-topic

chats

Practice language,

Learn about and explore web tools.

Shared with friends.

No pre-established agenda.

Different threads are going on at the same time.

Each one joins the conversational thread of his/her interest.

Free turn  taking.

Free moderation.

Distributed leadership

Webheads’ Sunday meetings at Tapped In.

Students practice English during week-ends.

(Collaborative) task-oriented chats

There is a need for a product

The same group establishes the norms, and handles the situation to complete the task in the time they have available.

Discussion after a video viewing lesson.

Cooperative Group activities (jig-saw).

Students get together online to discuss a final project.   

Presentation

or 

Academic Seminar

Chat

Presenting material to an audience:

Program to be presented

Research results

Methodologies

The goal is not to inform, but to educate, that is,
"draw forth" ideas or explore a specified topic, based
on information provided external to the chat.

The moderator has prepared the material beforehand and  the topic to be discussed has been previously announced to the audience.

Guest presenters may be invited.

The moderator could  prepare 3-4 questions to consider and try to keep audience into focus on those
topics, and change topics periodically throughout the chat time, e.g. 10 min. for discussion of each question. 

Reflections:

-Could one chat be intended within one of the subcategories turn into another through the process in-action?

Reflections:

 Should the moderator keep on track despite side issues that arise, or anticipated questions asked by the audience?

Latecomers to the chat do not know the approach set, and being eager to participate, the discussion may take different roads and not get where it was supposed .

   What should the moderator do?

-Establish procedure at the beginning- negotiated with participants?

-Inform that the question will be answered later?

-Evaluate the importance of keeping on track by reverting to  original topic, against the weight of the unexpected query?

Students present final project.

Presenting this taxonomy to an audience of teachers.

Workshop

Moderator shows how to do something and audience completes the task too.

Demonstration

Presentation followed by questions and discussion

 Swap

All or some participants bring topic, questions or materials to share and discuss about.

Presentation

Moderator presents information and audience listens and asks questions.

Discussion 

Presenter brings a question or topic to discuss about

Practice

chats

Participants, using the chat, practice a skill or strategy with other participants and the moderator

eg. a given function of a language

Role playing an interview

Practicing reporting genre

Individual or group tutoring

Evaluation

Chat

Written questions or topics to be developed by individual learners.

Debates on a given topic with a group of students.