1. New features for computer conferencing systems Nick Heap & Karen Kear

2. Overload - students IssuesUseful featuresDesired features Too many messages Takes too much time Can’t sort the wheat from the chaff Can’t tell content from title Too many conferences Navigating around conferences is difficult Threading - but only if people use it properly ‘Next in thread’ facility Sorting by thread Search facilities Sub-conferences and folders Easier search facilities Better navigation among conferences Pointers to useful conferences Tree structure for conferences - with drill-down

3. Overload - tutors IssuesUseful featuresDesired features Too many messages Takes too much time Can’t judge whether a message is interesting enough to open Poor threading Same title used for whole thread Students daunted by level of input Can’t find where conferences are Sorting & searching are awkward Following threads Choosing which threads to read Marking messages as ‘read’ Search facilities Conference structure Sub-conferences for archiving Folders for email Each thread in its own window Clickable map of messages in a thread Preview first few lines of message Don’t see all new messages at once – less off-putting Better message titles Flag important messages Automatic archiving Map of where conferences are

4. Prototype system for TT380 Separate frames for threads & messages Tree threading display Filtering out messages Voting - or recommending - messages ‘Clipping’ useful messages

5. Survey results (pilot) Respondents Two surveys 14 & 17 respondents (from 59 students who completed the course) All were experienced with FirstClass Time spent Most spent between half an hour and 2 hours per week conferencing. They felt the amount of time was not a problem. Overload Did not feel overloaded in TT380 (but had done in other courses). Causes of overload - too many message or threads. - too many unread messages.

6. Survey results (cont.) Reading messages A third of students read all the messages. A further third read most. They judged which to read mainly by the title. Threading Having separate frames for threads and messages was useful. Branched threading display was helpful. New facilities Students didn’t use the voting facility. Need a critical mass. Some found the filtering options helpful – but not used much. Half had used the Clippings facility. Over a third thought it helpful.

7. Ongoing investigations System changes  recommend instead of vote  simpler, more visible filtering options All / Recent / Unread / Recommended  titles for individual messages Surveys in current TT380 presentation  via course CMAs  higher response rate?