VIRTUAL COMMUNICATIONS:What Is It? Who’s It For?

What’s Its Future?

Dr. Karen Lankisch Andy Curran, M.Ed.

Communications Evolved With The Internet

• Cooperative• Collaborative tools• Group communication• Multiple people communicate without

necessarily knowing each other

How Technologies Will Change Communication In The Future

• Mobile• Universal• Converged multimedia• Affordable

Virtual CommunicationsWhat Is It?

• Modern technological phenomenon• Broad spectrum of concepts, technologies,

and practices central to our daily lives• Communicate with others instantaneously• Breaking down barriers• Transmission of information and or action to

remote or distant locations

Virtual CommunicationsWhat Is It?

• Revolutionized the way we live and work• Facilitates the ability to know and understand

how to access and share information electronically

• Portal through which a world of limitless learning opportunities exist

Virtual CommunicationsWho’s It For?

• Everyone• Changed the way work gets done• Work has shifted from individual tasks to

group projects• From working alone to working with others

inside and outside an organization• Employee’s work non-traditional times, work

from home, multitask

Virtual CommunicationsWhat’s Its Future?

• Traditional virtual communications tools– E-mail, networks, internet, telephones– Continue to increase in capacity and clarity

• Cost decrease• Remainder of the world will connect• In book The World Is Flat, Thomas Freidman– “The next generation is growing up online, rather

than adapting to mid-adult years”– “The future is in their hands, though the rest of us will

be taken along for the ride”

Integration of Virtual Communication

• Cell Phones• Blogs• Social Networks• Microblogging• VoIP

Cell Phone

• ChaCha– Text– Phone

• iPhone – Apps

Blogs

• Online journal• Sharing information• Video journal

Social Networks

• Private social networking site • Online communities – focused• Facebook• LinkedIn• Grouply• Ning

Microblogging

• Broadcast short messages to your friends or "followers"

• Tweet• What are you doing?• Twitter• Tweetdeck

VoIP• Voice Over Internet Protocol• Instant Messaging/Voice Call Tool– Immediacy– Students comfortable with tool

• Skype

RSS

• Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary

• Summary of web content• RSS reader• Google Reader