Synchronous chat and electronic ink for distance support in mathematics

For online mathematics instructors, synchronous communication can be a challenge due to the need for specialized symbols, graphics, or notations to explain key concepts. While software tools exist to support such communication, they can often be cumbersome and time-consuming for users to adopt in online exchanges. As one way of addressing this problem, Birgit Loch and Christine McDonald investigate the feasibility of employing a freely available chat client for the teaching of mathematics to distance students. The distinctive value of this chat client comes from a handwriting or 'electronic ink' tool that allows users to create and edit mathematical formulae and diagrams rapidly in real time, thereby allowing for a more fluid pace of communication. To assess this tool, Loch and McDonald conducted a pilot study in two undergraduate mathematics-based courses taught at a distance; in this study the authors used the client in a series of online tutorials with student volunteers, and they then evaluated the quality of communication in the tutorials as well as the results of a survey administered to the students. The results indicate that while the tool may require some practice to use, it was sufficiently flexible to accommodate both textual and graphic-based communications; moreover, the students found it a valuable resource for online tutorials in the discipline. The authors conclude with a recommendation of this convenient tool as a viable option for online mathematics instructors.