The Importance of Nonverbal Elements in Online Chat
RESEARCH IN BRIEF
The Importance of Nonverbal Elements in Online Chat The use of nonverbal elements in text-based virtual interactions provides participants with some of the richness of real-time, face-to-face interactions
By Joan Gajadhar and John Green
ommunication is often not so Student #2> I’m from ChCh deep in much what we write or say but the cold how we write and often what we Student #1> Plenty of mainlanders C 1 do not say. Thus, meaning in real-world here anyway! chat messages depends not only on the words we use but also on how we express The lecturer’s use of exclamation meaning through nonverbal cues. Online points early in the passage (three times) chat is simple, direct, and unrestrained. is then repeated by students later in the While it contains many of the elements log. In fact, Student #3 uses three excla- of face-to-face conversation, it differs mation points, possibly to reflect enthu- from ordinary chat in that it is a textual :-) siasm. Student #5 follows with “Cheviot representation of conversation.2 here!” Student #1 makes a comment At the Open Polytechnic of New Zea- “plenty of mainlanders here anyway” land we conducted a study involving a followed by an exclamation point. chat group specifically set up for a course Excerpt: The use of place names such as Cheviot, in computer concepts. Chat provided a Student #1> This isn’t very fast is it, Blenheim, Timaru, and ChCh illustrates nonthreatening environment to enhance it seems to be a delay. students developing rapport and build- the existing asynchronous forums.3 The Lecturer> It’s going via the US! ing identity. By disclosing their locations, facilitator actively encouraged student Student #2> just joined (4 members they start to build a community. networking as an essential part of creat- now) “Mmmmmmmmmm,” a spoken ing a learning community similar to the Lecturer> not bad for 24,000 miles! pause used by Student #5, has several real-time student common room. The Student #3> no delay here, its as fast possibilities. It could show thinking, chat room functioned as a place where as I can type and read! uncertainty, or agreement. students could “meet,” ask questions, talk Lecturer> Welcome, (Student #2) The lecturer uses an emoticon :-) or about the course, and generally get to Student #1> No wonder there’s a :) (smiley face) to denote a friendly per- know their classmates. Because of the chat delay, it has to turns itself upside down son and to encourage friendly discourse. group’s voluntary and informal nature, adn back again to go tehre and back. Student #5 uses LOL (laughing out loud) with no incentives for participation, Lecturer> :-) in much the same way. usage numbers fluctuated throughout Student #2> thanks Neuage argued that chat rooms are the 17-week semester. By analyzing stu- Student #5> joins.... reader/writer-driven interactive sites.4 dent online messages, we could determine Lecturer> Ah (Student #5) welcome!! He suggested that when human beings whether students were using textual ele- Student 3> luvmudub.luhtehname! enter into cyberspace, they do not leave ments to express feelings. lo!! behind their gregariousness or their This excerpt from a chat log early in the Student #5> mmmmmmm Cheviot inventiveness. We found this lent sup- course illustrates the first stages in online here! LOL port to our research results, especially group building. Digressions and inter- Student #1> I’m from Blenheim, usu- in chats near the end of the semester. ruptions demonstrate the flow of ideas ally suny but cold today, and grey. While students did use emoticons in as participants leave and newcomers are Student #3> I’m in Timaru and by the chat sessions, the majority did not greeted and welcomed to the group, just the looks of the list may be the only attempt to develop new tools, instead as in real-time group discussion. one there. constantly reinventing the tools they
Number 4 2005 • EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY 63 Table 1 Table 2 ■ Develop incentives to encourage participation. Because of the voluntary Types and Numbers Intent of Nonverbal nature of this course’s chat, we could of Nonverbal Communication encourage participation but not give Expressions Used any incentives for taking part. This Intent Number of could have affected the nature of the Nonverbal Cue Number of Occurrences contributions. Occurrences ■ Consider providing help for those new Exclamation for Multiple ... 210 emphasis 90 to the environment. A number of students logged on but took little Multiple !!!! 73 Expression of or no part. Perhaps just as in real- Multiple ???? 45 happiness 72 time conversation, it is sometimes Capitals 21 Agreement 51 easier to wait and listen. However, it can also signify an unwillingness LOL 39 Question 48 to enter unfamiliar territory. See ya 37 An encouraging note from our Negative study6 was that chat-room facilitators OK 27 exclamation 41 will not need to undertake a course in :-) 22 Exit word 40 orthographic pictures and trendy acro- Oops 17 nyms to lead effective chat groups. Stu- Negative emotion 32 dents already communicate effectively Oh 15 Emphasis 29 by appropriating old typographical Yep 14 symbols and putting them to new Positive exclamation 19 Wow 6 uses. e Hey 5 Endnotes 1. J. DeVito, Human Communication (New York: Longman Publishing, 2000). (14 Yep, 27 OK, 6 Wow, 5 Hey, 22 :), 73 had at hand to fit the developing social 2. M. Giese, “Self Without Body: Textual Self-Representation in an Electronic Multiple !!!!, shown in Table 1), there community. Community,” First Monday, 1998, was little evidence of disagreement (45
64 EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY • Number 4 2005