question
One thing I noted in this unit is that it is best to use syncronous instruction with a single student rather than with a large group. I see the point and agree...however, my school presents us with group "chats" and these are the ones that are held in a sychronous form. On the other hand, it would be very difficult to hold these chats individually simply because of the large number of students involved. Any ideas of how best to balance these two situations?
Janis,
Very good way to archive a visual.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
One good way to handle this is to hold the chat as the school wants them (in a synchronous form) but also one should have a PowerPoint with the information. Put that PowerPoint in a specific area of your classroom. (some schools have a section called doc sharing, some have a section called instructor files) The students who read slowly, or who cannot type their answers in quickly enough, have the time to review the chat. Then encourage the students to email you with any specific questions.
James,
It is exciting, indeed. We are about to see tremendous changes in the next decade.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I'm sure changes will be fast and furious, but that's good. We have a good product now, I believe, but I know it will get better as we go forward. I'm sure there will be all kinds of applications and developments we have not even imagined...and new technology will add even more dimensions. In my view, it's very exciting!
James,
Yes,as the song says,"These are the good-ole-days." Online is in its infancy. It's kind of like we are driving the Model-T.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
This is true and I think the best part of this business is that it is vibrant, alive, and always changing. To me, that is exciting. This is good. I think the industry will refine and improve constantly and it will result in an ever better online educational presence. So, the things we can learn from each other are going to be very valuable. I wonder what people will say 25 years from now...WE will be the good-ole-days!!!
James,
Absolutely, yes. Almost any presentation or conversation in the chat that contributes to student success in the class is fair game. Good call.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Yes, I can see that. One thing I do is try to cover what I call "administrative issues" in every chat...with everyone. This includes issues of deadlines, timelines, grade postings, and other information that could be helpful for everyone. I don't want to waste anyone's time, of course, but students usually think this is worthwhile. It isn't exactly course content but it seems to help things run smoothly. Do you think this is a legitimate use of time?
James,
I am fairly certain there is no 'one size fits all' solution in today's online environment. Maybe in later years when online technology and online pedagogy are a bit more advanced. For my classes, I have been able to maintain chats as primarily "outward looking" by discussing the class content in terms of where it fits in society and other bigger picture discussions. Sometimes we discuss content intricasies, but usually that is dealy with in readings, assignments, quizzes, emails, phone tutoring, etc. The feedback in those contexts are almost exclusively to the individual student because it often includes indications of areas of deficiency of knowledge and/or understanding along with confirmations of success.
That's not to say I don't answer questions about content in the large group settings, but this general approach works pretty well for me at this time. I do often have the opportunity to share individual student successes in the group setting (with permission), which many times can bring those individuals "out of their shells."
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
