AKA  Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

"The web is not just an encyclopedia of information to be searched - there are people out there!"  

Asynchronous Tools

Email

Listservs

Discussion Boards

Many Web 2.0 tools - blogs, wikis, Facebook, Twitter

Synchronous Tools 

Ideas for CMC Projects

Judi Harris' website -  "Virtual Architecture" for Telecollaboration activities

From preparation and setting up to assessment

Flat Stanley and related projects

http://mrssmoke.onsugar.com/2884541 

Mixbook report on a Flat Stanley

http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/education/flat-keough-s-class-adventures-3070259

Student connections

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062303440.html

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype

http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

Tips on planning CMC -  what will happen in the classroom and how to evaluate it

Consult the “User’s Guide” http://calper.la.psu.edu/taflp/guide.php 

and database of sample activities http://calper.la.psu.edu/taflp/database.php

Research studies on CMC and language learning

Look at back issues of the CALICO and IALLT Journals, as well as LL&T online.

A simple search in Google (“language learning computer-mediated communication”) will yield a number of articles on the topic. 

Here is a summary of research on language learning and CMC:

http://www.osaka-ue.ac.jp/gakkai/pdf/ronshu/2003/5403_ronko_hata.pdf

A presentation for teachers interested in CMC from Robert O’Dowd (in VoiceThread)

http://voicethread.com/#q.b103494.i527746

He has also written a number of articles and given presentations on CMC for language learning which you can find on his homepage - http://www3.unileon.es/personal/wwdfmrod/