Creating Community Through Telephone and Computer Groups: Theoretical and Practice Perspectives

ABSTRACT

Telephone and computer groups are a productive way to conduct groups, especially when barriers to attending face-to-face groups exist. The literature, however, offers few guidelines for facilitating these groups and little is known about how extensively they are used. This article discusses conceptual differences among face-to-face, telephone conference call, and computer-assisted groups. It reports the results of a survey of members of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups about their experiences with telephone and computer groups and their views about these groups. Finally, it discusses the implications of the findings and suggests guidelines for practice.