The issue that I have decided to research is whether online
students receive the same quality of writing instruction as traditional
students. I have a ‘vested’ interest in
this issue. I teach in both online and
traditional settings, and I struggle internally to make sure that students are
receiving the same quality of instruction in both formats. For example, if a student takes my online
Professional Development class, I try to assign the same assignments, lectures,
and other handouts as I would assign in a traditional course. In short, I believe that instruction should
not suffer just because the instructor is not face-to-face.
Over the years, I have found the teaching of writing in an
online setting to be quite challenging. Before
online education became popular, I was accustomed to marking the students’
papers with red ink and then talking with them about any issues. Given the fast pace society that we live in
and the sheer nature of online communication, teaching writing has become a
tedious enterprise. While I use Microsoft
Word to make comments in each paper, I continuously struggle to devote the same
amount of time and quality feedback to each assignment given.
Another issue that I encounter is when a student asks a
difficult writing question online. While
I try my best to provide a clear response, I sometimes wonder if the student
truly understood my answer. The student
may reply with a, “Yes, thanks,” but sometimes the final draft will show that
the student may not have completely understood my instruction. Furthermore, if a question cannot be handled
in one or two responses, I find that the ultimate answer can become lost in the
email chain.
The Hermagorian approach to invention (as a result of the
readings) unquestionably helped me to solidify why I was interested in the
topic. It also helped me to specifically
state which groups of students I was most interested in discussing. The journalizing that we did in class was
probably the most helpful exercise for me in that it allowed me to just write
down thoughts without judgment or other concerns. The homework assignment for this week was
like the ‘nail in the coffin’ in that I was able to stand on a firmer question. In the past, I would merely pick a topic and
begin research without truly investigating my approach to the issue. As a result of this method, I have gained further
insight into the research techniques that I could use to aid with the discovery
process (articles, interviews, teaching strategies, etc.) .
Comparing the possibilities of online and face-to-face teaching is certainly important for those of us who teach now, Pam. This topic clearly matters to you, and I look forward to reading your writing.
ReplyDeleteBecause there are so many different ways people teach online AND f2f, and so many disciplines that can be taught, it might be hard to argue absolutely that one way is better than another. But what if you pick some set of criteria that you think should be used to judge the results of all writing classrooms at a particular level? Then you might have an easier time determining whether online or f2f *necessarily* helps teachers and students achieve those criteria.
Another approach would be simply to focus on what others consider to be the best practices for teaching online. I am learning that experienced online teachers set up their classes very differently from their f2f classes; they do this precisely because of the different relations one has with students online (as when you describe how hard it is to know if a student really "heard" an explanation you offered).
By exploring best practices, you might be able to describe best what many consider to be the primary differences in the teaching environments -- and that then might help you make clearer arguments about what is possible in either.
These are suggestions, and I am happy to talk about any of this with you.
Thanks!