PRACTICUM

DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (EDU103)

TOPIC: E- Communication: Forums, Blogs, Bulletin Boards, Social

Networking, And Webinar A Brief Outline
Communication is the process of exchanging information. Main barriers are language
and distance. Contemporary societys emphasis is now the accumulation, packaging, and
exchange of information. E-communication, or electronic communication, refers to the
transfer of writing, signals, data, sounds, images, signs or intelligence sent via an electronic
device. E-communication is a common form of interaction for many people. The use of ecommunication allows people to interact in different ways and combine many forms of media
in the process. E-communication makes it easy to interact with groups through chat interfaces
or video conferencing. Companies use electronic communications to enhance their business
and avoid obstacles, such as long-distance communication with their clients or partners.
Electronic communication dates back to the telegraph that used Morse code to send
messages long distances over wires. After that, the electronics industry added the wired
telephone, the wireless radio and television. Since then, the industry has exploded; consumers
now share information with each other anywhere, anytime and in ways that are as varied as
we are. Some examples of e-communication are email, text messages, social media
messaging and image sharing.
Advantages of Electronic Communication
The following points highlight on the advantages of electronic communication:
1. Speedy transmission: It requires only few seconds to communicate through electronic
media because it supports quick transmission.
2. Wide coverage: World has become a global village and communication around the globe
requires

second

only.

3. Low cost: Electronic communication saves time and money. For example Text sms is
cheaper than traditional letter.

4. Exchange of feedback: Electronic communication allows instant exchange of feedback.

So communication becomes perfect using electronic media.
5. Managing global operation: Due to advancement of electronic media, business
managers can easily control operation across the globe. Video or teleconferencing e-mail and
mobile communication are helping managers in this regard.
Disadvantages of Electronic Communication
Electronic communication is not free from the below limitations:
1. Volume of data: The volume of telecommunication information is increasing in such a fast
rate that business people are unable to absorb it within relevant time limit.
2. Cost of development: Electronic communication requires huge investment for
infrastructural development. Frequent change in technology also demands for further
investment.
3. Legal status: Data or information, if faxed, may be distorted and will cause zero value in
the eye of law.
4. Undelivered data: Data may not be retrieved due to system error or fault with the
technology.

Hence

required

service

will

be

delayed

5. Dependency: Technology is changing everyday and therefore poor countries face problem
as they cannot afford new or advanced technology. Therefore poor countries need to be
dependent towards developed countries for sharing global network.

FORUMS OR BULLETIN BOARDS OR MESSAGE BOARD

This is an internet based method of communication. A forum, which is also called a
'message board' or 'bulletin board, allows you to post messages on any topic the forum
owner wants to cover. Other visitors can read the forum messages. If they wish to reply, they
usually need to have an account with the forum organiser. Forums can also be searched by
keyword so older messages covering a topic can also be found. Forums have been set up to
cover almost any topic imaginable, from thimble collectors to fan-based forums. Forums can

be informal, such as one for home cinema enthusiasts or they can be for professionals such as
a medical forum for doctors. They are excellent repository of knowledge. For instance there
is a forum that covers repairing cars enter a keyword or two such as 'replacing brake light'
will bring up all messages posted covering that term.
Conversations that go on indefinitely, involve large numbers of people or need to be
archived are not well suited to email. Forums, often hosted on the Web, provide an alternative
that combines many of the aspects of email and Web pages. They involve discussions around
a single, limited topic but can take place over months or years and involve dozens or even
hundreds of participants. Most use a treelike structure that allows participants to jump in at
whatever level their comments are most appropriate.

BLOG
A blog is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting
of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries. Posts are typically displayed in reverse
chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page.
Until 2009, blogs were usually the work of a single individual occasionally of a small group,
and often covered a single subject or topic. In the 2010s, "multi-author blogs" (MABs) have
developed, with posts written by large numbers of authors and sometimes professionally
edited. MABs from newspapers, other media outlets, universities, think tanks, advocacy
groups, and similar institutions account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic. The rise
of Twitter and other "micro-blogging" systems helps integrate MABs and single-author blogs
into the news media. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a
blog.
There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in
the way that content is delivered or written.
Personal blogs
The personal blog is an ongoing online diary or commentary written by an individual, rather
than a corporation or organization. While the vast majority of personal blogs attract very few
readers, other than the blogger's immediate family and friends, a small number of personal
blogs have become popular, to the point that they have attracted lucrative advertising

sponsorship. A tiny number of personal bloggers have become famous, both in the online
community and in the real world.
Collaborative blogs or group blogs
A type of weblog in which posts are written and published by more than one author. The
majority of high-profile collaborative blogs are based around a single uniting theme, such as
politics, technology or advocacy. In recent years, the blogosphere has seen the emergence and
growing popularity of more collaborative efforts, often set up by already established bloggers
wishing to pool time and resources, both to reduce the pressure of maintaining a popular
website and to attract a larger readership.
Micro-blogging
Micro-blogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital content which could be text,
pictures, links, short videos, or other media on the Internet. Micro-blogging offers a portable
communication mode that feels organic and spontaneous to many users. It has captured the
public imagination, in part because the short posts are easy to read on the go or when waiting.
Friends use it to keep in touch, business associates use it to coordinate meetings or share
useful resources, and celebrities and politicians micro-blog about concert dates, lectures,
book releases, or tour schedules. A wide and growing range of add-on tools enables
sophisticated updates and interaction with other applications. The resulting profusion of
functionality is helping to define new possibilities for this type of communication.
Corporate and organizational blogs
A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business or not-for-profit
organization or government purposes. Blogs used internally, and only available to employees
via an Intranet are called corporate blogs. Companies use internal corporate blogs enhance
the communication, culture and employee engagement in a corporation. Internal corporate
blogs can be used to communicate news about company policies or procedures, build
employee esprit de corps and improve morale. Companies and other organizations also use
external, publicly-accessible blogs for marketing, branding, or public relations purposes.
Aggregated blogs
Individuals or organization may aggregate selected feeds on specific topic, product or service
and provide combined view for its readers. This allows readers to concentrate on reading
instead of searching for quality on-topic content and managing subscriptions. Many such
aggregation called planets from name of Planet that perform such aggregation, hosting sites
usually have plane

SOCIAL NETWORKING
Social networking sites facilitate communication among people with common
interests or affiliations. Sites such as Face book and LinkedIn provide places for people to
interact, sometimes in real time. Micro-blogging services like Twitter, allow short textual
messages of no more than 140 characters to be broadcast to a large audience. Unlike text
messages, which are delivered to only small groups, micro-blog posts are intended to be seen
by all of a user's followers. Micro-blog users can repost messages that they want to share with
their own followers, so a micro-blog post can spread quickly. A widely reposted message is
called a viral post.

Advantages
Worldwide Connectivity
Commonality of Interest

Disadvantages
Cyber bullying and Crimes Against
Children
Risks of Fraud or Identity Theft

Real-Time Information Sharing

Time Waster
Targeted Advertising

Corporate Invasion of Privacy

Increased News Cycle Speed

WEBINAR
A webinar is an educational, informative or instructional presentation that is made available
online, usually as either video or audio with slides.

A webinar may take the form of an academic lecture or some other type of presentation, such
as a business conference. Because webinar attendees connect online, they can use Internetbased technologies to enhance the experience, for example, communicating through instant
messaging, file sharing, using a whiteboard collaboratively and interacting through social
media sites.
As with any type of presentation, it's important to prepare adequately for a webinar. Tips for a
successful webinar include researching the topic thoroughly, creating an organizational
structure for the information, finding a comfortable pace for presentation, and testing
equipment ahead of time.

Conclusion
Rapid advances in information technology have provided new learning methods and
environments. Technology has changed the way people live, work, and learn. The use of
technology in education is one of the main challenges for education policy makers.
Traditional methods of education are no longer able to meet the needs of today's learners.
New technologies provide opportunities including the ability to tailor learning to the
individual. It also had bad effect on pupil but it depends on the way the pupil using the
technology.