If the WWW site contains CMC activities, such as listserves, bulletin boards, and forums, sign up for 2-4 week period and evaluate the service. There is so much information on the Internet and some of it is garbage. It is easy to get sidetracked and to lose sight of the purpose of these tools. E-mail applications are most useful for classroom learning if they are consistent with social work philosophy and values. Students should learn to evaluate the effectiveness of e-mail related applications using the following guidelines.
Discussions are relevant to the social work related issues.
Access is provided to as many persons as possible. These forums provide support, informed knowledge and assistance to its members These discussions engage people of diverse background and life experiences in a dialogue in a respectful manner. Participants are informed of their rights and responsibilities. Discussions are strengths based and solution-oriented. Forums are committed to improving the quality of life for its participants Forums are active and kept current Participants are sharing resources, strengths, and connections and are keeping members informed of current trends in the area under discussion.