IM 101: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE USE OF INSTANT MESSAGING IN ACADEMIC ADVISING

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IM 101 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE USE OF INSTANT
MESSAGING IN ACADEMIC ADVISING

• Wesley Lipschultz (Abraxas 1022)
• Terry Musser (Immuss2)
• Penn State University

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PURPOSE OF THIS SESSION(3 minutes)

• Non-prescriptive outline of IM and its potential
  in advising
• A framework relating IMs capabilities with
  advising scenarios IM could enhance
• Will not involve technical lesson on how to use a
  specific IM package and will not focus on legal
  issues
• More of a big picture attempt to use theory to
  understand IM and have what we know as advisers
  drive if, when, and how we use IM in advising

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We have not succeeded in solving all of our
problems. . . .
In some ways, we feel we are as confused as ever
but we believe we are confused on a much higher
level and about more important things!
The answers we have found only serve to raise a
whole set of new questions.
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE (1 minute)

• Introduction
• Definition of IM
• IM features
• IM as a new communication modality
• Using IM in advising settings
• Small group discussions
• Wrap-up

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INTRODUCTION (5 minutes)

• Who are we?
• Why are we interested in this topic?
• Why are YOU interested in this topic?

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DEFINING IM (7 minutes)

• A type of place-independent computer mediated
  communication (CMC)
• Can share digital info (text, audio, video,
  pictures) over a computer network

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DEFINING IM (continued)

• CMCs differ in predominant use patterns along a
  few dimensions
• Time (synchronous vs. asynchronous)
• Number (one-to-one vs. one-to-many or
  many-to-many)
• Familiarity (anonymous vs. known)
• IM is typically synchronous, one-to-one with
  known participants (but actually more flexible
  than this)

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DEFINING IM (continued)

• Many IM Software Packages (enter Instant
  Messaging in wikipedia.org for a list of popular
  packages) with proprietary differences
• AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is predominant in
  U.S.
• Compatibility not all IM programs can talk
  with one another
• If your institution mandates a particular IM
  system, should it be compatible with popular
  packages such as AOL IM?

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IM FEATURES (5 minutes)

• Screenname (Abraxas1022 vs. WesLipschultz55)
• Negotiation of identity
• Buddy List (a fluid address book with ESP)
• Presence information (the ESP online/offline,
  away, typing)
• Tag line/personal information (pictures, quotes,
  avatars)

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IM FEATURES (continued)

• Real time-esque with asynchronous accessories
• Cross-platform interaction with cell phones
• Chatterbots
• Other features the audience has used?

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IM FEATURES (5 minutes)
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COMMUNICATION MODALITY(10 minutes)

• New style of linguistic discourse language
  under the radar (Baron, 2005)
• IM language more like speech than writing, yet is
  still durable and editable
• Not central focus of consciousness (as
  face-to-face would be), but more peripheral and
  opportunistic w/ multitasking as the norm
• Presence information plus peripheral,
  opportunistic nature allows genuine social
  negotiation about whether and when to talk
  (Nardi et. al. 2000)

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COMMUNICATION MODALITY(continued)

• Unique added value of away message
• Real time but not quite
• Subtle social connectedness (grandma example)
• Allows one-to-many communications

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USING IM IN ADVISING SETTINGS (5 minutes)

• Advisor contact with other professional staff
• Quick advisor-to-advisor conversation
  (synchronous, presence)
• Consistency of advising information between
  offices (social connectedness, durability)
• Interrupting busy administrators without
  interrupting them (language under the radar)
• Project planning (place-independent,
  multitasking)

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USING IM IN ADVISING SETTINGS

• Student initiates contact with an advisor
• Intake or quick questions with students (presence
  information as opposed to set office hours)
• Accessing a student's assigned advisor
  (screenname plus away message yield effortless
  awareness of advisor availability and access)
• Advising chatterbots

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USING IM IN ADVISING SETTINGS

• Advisor initiates contact with student
• Outreach with at-risk students (presence
  information, cross-platform communications)
• Social pressure to stay on task (student away
  message as journaling)
• A kinder, gentler, more personal electronic
  newsletter (advisor away message as newsletter
  and/or update source)

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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS(15 minutes)

• Get into groups of 4-5
• Read the discussion topic for your group
• Choose a recorder
• Discuss that topic for about 15 minutes
• Report to larger group during wrap-up

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Discussion topics

• IM seems to be part of students personal space.
  If we use it in advising, what challenges does
  this present?
• If IM can be used as intake, outreach
  (intrusive), group advising (chat), to stay
  connected (away messages), and opportunistically
  (they contact us) with advisees, which of these
  methods would you want to use in your advising
  role and why?
• Given your advising load, how would you manage IM
  advising in your setting?

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WRAP-UP (9 Minutes)

• Summarize small group discussions
• How might IM work for you?

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THANK YOU

• Wes Lipschultzabraxas1022WPL100_at_psu.edualso on
  facebook
• Terry Musser
• immuss2TXM4_at_psu.edualso on facebook