Harvard University computer science professor David Malan is providing "virtual office hours," allowing students to chat via text or microphone in live, online help sessions.
The professor who teaches 100 students says, "It's especially convenient if they're in their dorm, at Starbucks or on vacation. They can get help without physically making their way to the office. And it allows instructors to pop in at 11 p.m. or 1 a.m. … It's not feasible for us to be on campus at that time."
Malan is one of a growing number of professors in the United States turning to Internet technology to enhance course communication and connect with students.
Some faculty also use Facebook, the social-networking site, to post material or learn students' names.
Chad Rector, an assistant professor at George Washington University, uses Facebook to reconnect with former political science students. A "group" he created in October has nearly 100 members, who can send messages and post links, photos and videos.
"My idea is that I'll take questions from students about current events and answer them in a three- to five-minute video that refers back to ideas from the course," Rector says.
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