COMPUTER-MEDIATED PEER SUPPORT OF CONSULTATION - CASE DESCRIPTION ANDEVALUATION

In this article we describe the design, implementation, and outcomes o f a computer-mediated peer support group. Four school psychologists us ed an enhanced version of electronic mail (e-mail) referred to as grou pware. The purpose of the e-mail messages was to provide two of the sc hool psychologists with support in regard to their consultations with teachers. During the 15-week project, the school psychologists exchang ed 65 e-mail messages. Their perceptions of the learning and social ou tcomes of the group were assessed. The school psychologists indicated that the majority of the messages contributed to their becoming more k nowledgeable about consultation and knowing what support to offer the other school psychologists. Overall, the computer-mediated group exper ience seemed to meet or exceed the school psychologists' preproject hi gh expectations in regard to learning about classroom-based interventi ons and receiving social support. Moreover, they also perceived their computer-mediated group to be highly cohesive.