This first step concerns technical access to the chat room and the basic need of students to be motivated in order to engage in the discussions and exchanges. Following a personal welcome and general information, we propose to provide students with basic technical support relative to being on-line. We suggest that they use e-mail or the telephone to obtain this support. At this step, motivation is crucial and this is why the tutor must reassure students concerning the pedagogical value of the chat room and the time to devote to it - at most a few hours per month.

In this second step, the students are urged to become acquainted using a virtual visit card where every student introduces himself to the others. The tutor, in this way, tries to create a virtual meeting place where students feel they can work together. He defines the role and functions of e-mail and the various chat rooms (pedagogy, introductions, student café). Certain students may have trouble understanding the effects of an off-line exchange or become frustrated in adapting to the absence of non-verbal and non-visual signals present when meeting face to face. Some students are happy to simply observe the others and this is normal. These silent observers read the others’ messages, but do not write any of their own. The tutor will stimulate them later via e-mail. If ethical issues occur with a student, we suggest that the tutor settle them in a discreet and personal way, via e-mail. Socializing is an essential step in the achievement of pedagogical chat room goals. At the end of this step, the tutor must, however, invite the students to continue their socializing in another chat room such as the "student café". This step is crossed when the students start to talk about themselves.

Exchanging information marks the beginning of pedagogical activities. Though certain students become stimulated, excited, because they are surprised to have quick access to a large amount of information, others may feel like giving up the course because they are afraid of being buried by it. The tutor encourages the students to become independent, confident and enthusiastic, in their on-line learning. He can help them to define what they want to know and formulate it clearly by inviting them to be concise and specific in their messages and directing them to available resources on the course site. To prevent a possible information overload, we suggest the creation of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for technical questions and those dealing with the rules of the educational institution. Technical aid on-line via e-mail should also be considered.

This is where the students start to interact and confront their ideas. From then on, learning is not so much a content to appropriate as a process which consists in presenting one’s ideas and accepting that they be criticized. This urges the student to reformulate his ideas or abandon them. At this step, it is important to know that learning is not only active, but interactive. One contributes to the learning of others and one also learns during this process. The tutor lets go of the reins at this step; without giving complete answers to pedagogical questions, he animates and stimulates discussions, summarizes, suggests new themes, encourages the development of ideas, introduces case studies, open-ended problems, and so on. The students learn as much from the course material as by exchanging with the tutor and other students. The tutor helps to maintain relationships that are gaining strength among the students.

This is the step at which the students are more familiar with the technological resources and become responsible for their learning. Those who have experience will help the newcomers. The need to go beyond the course framework is emerging, autonomy is developing, and some students learn to negotiate using humour and emotions. Critical thinking emerges and we see students beginning to confront the tutor’s interventions. Others criticize the communication tools and the way the course is put together. Some students are capable of looking at their way of learning and defining what the technology has given them in this learning.