Exercise 1: Creating a Virtual Group

Internet services like Yahoo! make it easy to create a website devoted to a group you belong to. You and fellow group members should go to groups.yahoo.com/ and create a page for your group (although you will need to register as a user, this service is free). For one week your group should interact using the tools found on the web page. Your teacher may give you specific topics to discuss as a virtual group. If not, your group should brainstorm and select discussion topics. After using the virtual group page for one week, reflect on how this technology can benefit group communication.

Exercise 2: Finding Online Support Groups

Traditional support groups require members to be located in the same geographic region. Because the Internet does not require such proximity, many support groups are now formed and maintained exclusively online. Go to www.yahoo.com or some other web browser and search for "Support Groups." An extensive list of sites will be returned. You should find a site of interest and learn more about the group. Be prepared to discuss information about the online support group with your class.