Week of October 29 - November 4

2). How do anonymity, group size, and proximity influence participation and communication in CMC groups?

Anonymity influences participation and communication in CMC groups by some people being able to hide behind there words. As I sit here I don't think anyone has seen my face to face so that gives me the chance to sit back and press the keys type anything I want. I recently saw in college group course two grown adults exchange get into a heated discussion online about the Presidential election. I had never seen any of the two people before in my life but they were arguing like two people in a bar. I could juts picture them doing this. So anonymity gives people in CMC groups more of chance to hide behind the computer desk.
Group size influences participation and communication in CMC the same way it does it face to face groups. Ive been posting in my earlier blogs that I think you have to wait for the group to get together in CMC just as much as you do in face to face. The only difference is you dont see them. I think that the same 10 people in a CMC group would do just as well in face to face meeting. One of things that Ive noticed in both groups is that in CMC information is waiting for you at the tip of your fingers. The email is already there, the instructions are already there on D2L are already there as oppose to having to go to class and waiting to get the instructions
Proximity can influence participation and communication very much. I have seen it influence it in positive and negative way. When I was in group project I was so confused with an assignment that I desperately needed to get in touch with the teacher to clear things up. He obliged and was able to set up a meeting so I could participate fully in the group exercises. However when I was in course that was online I wanted the teacher to do the same and help me out, however he only came one time to campus during the whole year that I was forced to learn it via the email. I'm not that type of learner and since I was in the group I felt that I had to ask the group to slow down so I could catch up.