The use of computer mediated communication in the industrial placement year

This paper sets out to examine the potential and limitations of computer mediated communication (CMC) in an educational context, and to relate this to an early pilot project run in the 1996/97 academic year at Bournemouth University on two courses to serve the needs of students out on their work placement year. The purpose and use of CMC in this context is evaluated and the findings present an opportunity to discuss the benefits and limitations of the use of this technology in this context with a view to suggesting how the use of CMC could be extended in the future.