THE REFLECTIVE COLLEAGUE IN E-MAIL CYBERSPACE - A MEANS FOR IMPROVINGUNIVERSITY INSTRUCTION

Two university academics living in countries on different sides of the world captured their e-mail communications during a ten-week teaching course. The power of e-mail over face-to-face conversation was explor ed as Nora, living in Oregon, U.S.A., contemplated her struggle to tea ch a new subject and Anne, living in Queensland, Australia, responded to Nora's introspections. As the terms coach and mentor did not repres ent the reciprocal nature of the interactions, the term reflective col league was used to explain the mirror-like role. The reflective collea gue provided: supportive affirmation, belief clarifications, alternati ve perspectives, and future and global projections. The role of e-mail in the process of journalizing together was non-hierarchical and beca me symmetrical in a short space of time. Both colleagues found value i n exploring together the teaching of a new course. Benefits to Nora we re: being heard, feeling support when things were difficult, getting n ew ideas and alternative viewpoints, and transforming the experience t o one focusing on her own learning. Benefits to Anne were strengthenin g her own understandings of data she had previously collected as well as applying strategies discussed to her own teaching. The value of e-m ail over other types of media or interpersonal interactions involved t wo paradoxes: it was rapid, yet allowed time for deep reflection, and it was spontaneous, yet permitted an accurate and permanent record, on e that could be reviewed again and again. E-mail as a medium for refle ctive dialogue has considerable potential for use in improving univers ity instruction. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.