Online Information Databases
One advantage is that there is an abundance of online information that can be turned to instructional uses. A new world of information is opened to everyone that can appeal to us and our interests and enhance our education. We can now find information in seconds from the comfort of our own home.
Teachers and students can communicate with each other about online instruction, download useful files for classes from remote databases, and post lessons and tutorials online.
Emphasis Shift from Teaching to Learning
CMC shifts the focus from the teacher's instruction and places the responsibility of learning onto the shoulders of the students. Instead of passively sitting through class lectures and endless seat work, CMC empowers the students to actively master the material. This active command of building knowledge and having the students make the content uniquely "their own" is reflective of constructivism. Jonassen, Davidson, Collins, et al. (1995:16) describes the relationship between CMC and constructivism in that:
Dyads or groups can work together to solve problems, argue about interpretations, negotiate meaning, or engage in other educational activities including coaching, modeling, and scaffolding of performance. While conferencing, the learner is electronically engaged in discussion and interaction with peers and experts in a process of social negotiation. Knowledge construction occurs when students explore issues, take positions, discuss those positions in an argumentative format, and reflect on and re-evaluate their positions. As a result of contact with new or different perspectives, these activities may contribute to a higher level of learning through cognitive restructuring or conflict resolution, leading to new ways of understanding the materials.
Instructional Design
Because of the learner-centered approach typical of CMC courses, teachers are forced to think about instructional design in innovative ways. Traditional lesson plans may not lend themselves to online instruction. Besides choosing appropriate instructional activities that will cater to the various needs of the students, teachers must also take into consideration staffing, class schedule, budget, varied learning styles, and the new frontier of the online environment (Eastmond & Ziegahn, 1995).
Individual Learning Styles
Since everyone has a different style of learning not everyone is expected to learn in the same way. CMC allows students to use several different styles of learning, including instructor-directed discussion, group discussion, guest lecture, presentation, and brainstorming (Eastmond & Ziegahn, 1995). This flexibility and diversity allows the learning experience to become more personalized and individualized.
Increased Interaction
Increased interaction is another inherent asset of CMC. In well-designed classroom activities, the electronic materials form the springboard for interactions with teacher and peers. It could be a plethora of emails or participating in a conference.
Expanded Cultural Awareness
Since people through the use of CMC can communicate with everyone in the world, it can be said the computer mediated communication activities can be designed to promote increased cultural awareness. The history, politics, philosophical and religious beliefs, way of living, customs, traditions, and so on can be communicated first hand by natives or researched in various databases. In this context, CMC can serve as a powerful tool to eliminate stereotypes and preconceived notions about "foreigners" and their native countries.
Lack of Geographic and Time Barriers
It is self-explanatory that CMC can overcome geographic barriers. Students do not have to be physically present in the same room in order to communicate. This is especially beneficial to students with physical disabilities of those in remote locations who can take courses that otherwise would not be available to them. Besides eliminating geographic barriers, the dual temporal nature of CMC bridges time barriers. Students can interact regardless of time zones, and "pen-pal" projects carried out over the Internet allows many more interactions in a given time-span than those conducted by "snail mail."
Lack of Social Barriers
CMC can be a very stress-free way of communication for people who find communicating really difficult. There are a lot of people who find it difficult to communicate with others face to face for a number of reasons starting with their character (if there are shy I nature) to physical problems and various other disabilities. CMC can provide them with a safe environment to communicate in and equip them with the necessary strength to apply the same communication skills that will b acquired in everyday face-to-face communication.