Chats, online counseling & advising, oh my!

We are thinking about developing online academic advising chat sessions, online workshops and thinking about offering online career counseling. We currently provide email advising, but are anxious hear what you are doing.

I would like to hear any lessons you have learned, any challenges you may have experienced such as student misinterpreting information or any other negative (and positive) consequences you have had with chat sessions, online advising and counseling. Please share anything else you think we should consider before embarking on this type of adventure at my community college.

What approach do you use to maintain notes from these forms of communication?

Are you willing to share examples of disclaimers that you use?

What are your thoughts about creating online student services that enable students to become self directed learners? Have students at your school resported any difficulties as a result of offering this type of information online?

Lots of questions this late in the semester. I would appreciate any information - informal responses would be great either on the blog or through email. Anita