During the last two weeks, I was really missing the sociability of a f2f class -- I think because that f2f sociability (in other theory classes that have been f2f) has helped me better understand the work my classmates are doing or preparing to do and to use that to work on my own stuff. In other classes, at this point in the semester, where we're working-through initial ideas about seminar papers, I have found that f2f discussion has helped soothe my initial "I don't know what the hell I'm doing" panic and I haven't felt that yet. It certainly helped to meet with Anne and talk-through my initial thoughts, but Anne is but one person and I have several other classmates who know about the stuff I'm interested in (because we've been in other f2f classes together) and they have been incredibly helpful...but I don't receive that in the on-line course. Yes, I know I could organize a group discussion, but that's time consuming (the organization of it and then actually doing it) and in a f2f class, that time is already worked-in to class time: It happens before, during, and after class. It happens during class breaks. It happens over drinks or coffee.
Also, I've been thinking about the increased amount of time required to take this class online (vs f2f). I don't think that its because its "theory" because I've had theory courses before this and they have not required this much time. It simply takes more time to read the texts and to read everyone's (or many) posts (I want to *read* and not *skim.*) In a f2f class, I'm not reading all (or any, for that matter) of my classmates' weekly responses -- that's the closest analogy I can make. And, in a f2f post, besides *listening* to them talk in class and then having a f2f conversation, I'm not responding to my classmates' weekly responses. The *work* (reading weekly responses and then responding to them) of the course is spread-out from the instructor to the class participants. I don't have an answer for this problem: I suspect that Anne has assigned fewer readings than she would if this were a f2f theory course to help account for this time consideration. But, still.
So, anyway...the thing that I think is *missing* thus far is that crazy thing called f2f interaction. I know it doesn't address the question that Anne posed for this reflective post but it's still the thing that's missing. Unfortunately, unless we change the structure of the class over the next couple of weeks, it would be hard to *bring this back in.*
ReplyDeleteDeedee, thanks for posting this. I think you are right about the reading of other people's comments. As a late poster, I usually feel guilty about not getting to the discussion earlier... but then I don't feel guilty because I am actually reading everyone's comments, whereas the early posters only have half the class (or less) to wade through by Saturday morning (I usually post Saturday night). And then they usually walk away from the discussion for good by Saturday afternoon. Understandable, but still - it means less reading if you are posting and responding to only a few people. Another thing I believe is more time-consuming for me is having to articulate ALL my responses in written text. I think there's a different learning process that happens in f2f classes (whether it's listening to speech or speaking). This learning process suits me; writing is much harder for me than speaking. Some people can dash off three semi-intelligent paragraphs in one or two hours. Simply put, I will never ever be able to do that. It takes me two or three hours just to gather my thoughts and decide what to say. I would love to have the f2f class to speak and listen and not force my learning through written text.
ReplyDeleteYou both bring me face-to-face (metaphorically!) with what is continually on my mind as I move through the differing spaces of this online class: what works in these spaces, and what doesn't.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled by the amount and quality of the writing you all do here, because when we do have to present formed ideas (even informally) we of necessity have to work out ideas and relations among ideas more carefully. In the ning discussions I therefore see much more careful working out of ideas, both in the individual postings but also in the responses. I do understand the amount of time that goes into the postings and the responses -- but the postings would be pointless without the responses.
Meanwhile, I am continually trying to figure out my usefulness in the discussions, and am continually trying different ways of responding. I do not want to stop discussion with my comments, but I do want to participate. I do want to keep people honest to the readings, and to their abilities, so I also continually try to figure out how to respond to posts that I think might not be as careful as they could be.
But that also raises for me regret for something I have yet to figure out how to make happen in an online class, and that is a careful and full interpretation of a reading. I only know how to do that through real-time, synchronous pointing and talking, while moving back and forth through a text, asking and responding to questions and having others point to passages that support (or not) an interpretation being built by the class as a whole.
And, of course, yes, I miss what time together brings when there is room for the informal, for making each other laugh, for being able to chat about the stuff one chats about during the coffee breaks that should be a part of any long f2f class.
But the time element. As I have written elsewhere in the syllabus pages, my sense of how much time class takes is tied to the university recommendation of 3-4 hours per week per course credit -- which is time in addition to the time in class. So I am aim for about 12-15 hours of work per week (3 class hours + 9-12 outside). But when all that time is reading and writing, and no f2f time....! The reading and writing do take a more focused energy, and so are, I think, more tiring.
So, yes, I cut back on the readings, both before I started but even when I made the mid-semester changes.