Chat rooms enable users to engage in a live "conversation" with people across the street or around the world. They are similar to telephone conferences except that messages are typed instead of spoken. Usually, everyone in a chat room can see all the other participants' contributions.
Chat rooms are more popular with younger people and have not yet reached their curricular potential. Currently viewed by schools as a home-leisure pursuit rather than an educational communications medium, we can expect to see the role of chat rooms in schools change in coming years.
The value
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Prejudices and stereotyping can be reduced in group work where there is neither a visual nor a vocal link between the participants.
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It can be really helpful, particularly in adolescence, to talk openly with others of the same age, whom you know and trust, about some of the difficult issues of growing up.
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Expertise gained from home use could be capitalized on within school.
The potential risks
Personal Safety
* Feeling uncomfortable
Receiving unpleasant messages can cause distress.
Users do not know who else is there, so it can be dangerous to say things in a chat room that wouldn't be appropriate in public. To some, this can appear exciting.
* Child protection
People do not necessarily tell the truth about who they are.
Providing personal information could lead to the user being traced and contacted by someone with harmful intentions.
Careless chatter could lead to others using that information and causing harm.
Some chat rooms are moderated and the moderator can remove someone who is acting in an inappropriate manner, but only after the damage has been done.
The moderator cannot protect a user from going into a private chat area with a person who might cause harm or prevent anyone from typing information that could put them at risk or in danger.
The recommendations
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Users should be aware that discussion can move off-topic and should be advised to avoid any chat room topic area that makes them feel uneasy.
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Curricular development programmes should explore the possible contribution of chat rooms to the learning process. One such related resource is The Cloakroom. (See Resources for further details)
*
Schools should be prepared and confident to deal with chat room issues that arise in school or elsewhere.
*
Personal Safety Programmes should include reference to chat room participants.
Chat rooms are more popular with younger people and have not yet reached their curricular potential. Currently viewed by schools as a home-leisure pursuit rather than an educational communications medium, we can expect to see the role of chat rooms in schools change in coming years.
The value
*
Prejudices and stereotyping can be reduced in group work where there is neither a visual nor a vocal link between the participants.
*
It can be really helpful, particularly in adolescence, to talk openly with others of the same age, whom you know and trust, about some of the difficult issues of growing up.
*
Expertise gained from home use could be capitalized on within school.
The potential risks
Personal Safety
* Feeling uncomfortable
Receiving unpleasant messages can cause distress.
Users do not know who else is there, so it can be dangerous to say things in a chat room that wouldn't be appropriate in public. To some, this can appear exciting.
* Child protection
People do not necessarily tell the truth about who they are.
Providing personal information could lead to the user being traced and contacted by someone with harmful intentions.
Careless chatter could lead to others using that information and causing harm.
Some chat rooms are moderated and the moderator can remove someone who is acting in an inappropriate manner, but only after the damage has been done.
The moderator cannot protect a user from going into a private chat area with a person who might cause harm or prevent anyone from typing information that could put them at risk or in danger.
The recommendations
*
Users should be aware that discussion can move off-topic and should be advised to avoid any chat room topic area that makes them feel uneasy.
*
Curricular development programmes should explore the possible contribution of chat rooms to the learning process. One such related resource is The Cloakroom. (See Resources for further details)
*
Schools should be prepared and confident to deal with chat room issues that arise in school or elsewhere.
*
Personal Safety Programmes should include reference to chat room participants.
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