Singluarity

I have noticed as I do this summer class. I will get emails to questions I answer in the discussion board. They will also ask the same questions in the discussion board. They don't all read each others' posts

Emails are like questions after class; Discussion posts are like asking questions in class. Announcements are the way to speak to the whole class so they think we are talking to the whole class (Instructor interview 4)

It is singularity

I'm teaching TECA1318 in summer 1 and students are having a hard time with attaching a document or what an assignment actually is. One person asks on the questions discussion board and I answer it. but then I get 4 additional emails and another post in the questions discussion about the SAME thing. They do NOT read others posts and my responses to them. It is so frustrating. I thing about what Dr. Snider says about singularity in the online class. "oh that answer is for that person" it is FRUSTRATING. I just send out a group email about the whole thing. CRAZY.

Meeting on 6.16.11

My meeting with Dr. Snider went really well today. It ended up being an awesome day. So much so that 3 members of my family noted I sounded happy.

I am a horrible interviewer or at least a novice interviewer. I asked leading questions and my biases came though. I asked about the “steep” learning curve and “laid out nicely” when it was not what the participant said. Dr. Snider says I have to disclose that she taught me a lot and has modeled how to teach online and I have styled my online teaching format to hers. I think students do struggle to learn the ways of the online classroom. They walk in thinking they have the skill and expectations and all of that fogs the class and they struggle and it limits the amount of learning that can occur.

I need to look into “the long interview” by sage for tips or google qualitative interviewing process. I need to ask open ended questions: no yes/no and I need clarify “all online classes” and “this online class you are currently in”.

I need someone read the transcripts to catch the bias that I cannot see.

Some themes that came out of the transcripts:

Nature of interaction-with reading, videos . . ..

Students says they get no feedback: maybe it’s types of feedback or the grade they get. How much feedback do they need? What type of feedback do they need?

In the face-to-face class, a teacher makes a comment and it is heard by all and each person takes it in as a personal comment but in a face-to-face class comments to one person is for that person. They don’t read professor’s comments. There is an air of singularity. How do you develop that community of practice? And shared communication?

Student perceptions of what the instructor does; what is the instructor’s work

Developmental aspects of the student and its influences on online learning—egocentric—it’s all about me like the younger student in the first focus group.

Learning-not learning when worried about others and their grades—is it a kind of lurking-it makes me think of the University of Houston (JOLT-Dec2010) Student perceptions and the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

The first focus group participants were more face-to-face students and the second was an online student. The second focus group she was able to take on the instructor perspectives.

Extrinsic/intrinsic motivation. The first focus group lady where she didn’t like second life the intrinsic motivation to play isn’t there. Assignments are due on Sunday but they complain about it and wish is was Friday, but they cannot think to turn it in on Friday It reminds me of the Courtney article and even though we remove the walls of the classroom in online learning, we don’t lose the power setup and because the teacher sets the deadline they do that deadline and not the ones they set for themselves.

They think they are technological proficient and they are not—stupid in America we rank number one in confidence but in performance tests, we rank much lower.

Codes:

Instructor’s work

Perceptions of online or F2F learners

Developmental aspects

Extrinsic power/motivation

2nd focus group and reflections

My second focus group was held May 5th at 2pm. Out of 12 students I emailed, only one showed up. Frustrating to say the least. Tara was there and she was a big help. I was less nervous this time as I had her and this was my second time.

So my focus group was more an interview than a focus group. I did notice a big difference between interviewing two that were at the beginning of their degrees and one was graduating this semester. There was more of a maturity.

She had taken the class as an elective and had various experiences with online courses. She was a psychology major and she hit on some key points. She thought you should not take your major classes online because one doesn't learn as much online. It seems more self taught. And she got me thinking about the instructor and her role. We do create the environment. and if we are not facilitating discussion and highlighting what is or is not important and connecting to prior knowledge, how do the students do it themselves? The teacher has to be present and interact. I think of transactional distance theory . . . and the instructor as the main component in bridging that difference. I also think about the learning cycle of knowing what you think, expressing it and then hearing others and processing it to learn. (COI)

She wanted more synchronous interactions. She has never felt known as a person in online classes except for a creative arts class. Interesting. Pictures didn't seem to help a whole lot.

The other thing I have been thinking about is power and the Courtney article. I teach online and I think of who has the power and when a student questions my power . . . when is this due? why isn't it graded? and I get upset that she dare email me and question my authority. Did it threaten me? Was I clear enough in directions? I'm still pondering.

First focus group

I think that it went all right. It wasn’t GREAT but it wasn’t horrible as well. I think only have 2 didn’t really help facilitate the discussion I was going for. I need to really know the questions on the online class. I read the overall responses, but I need to be more specific for the online questions.

No one knew what a focus group was so I will need to do some type of modification, but if I include it in the focus group assignment email and offer a brief explanation. I asked all the questions and I tried to not lead the answers.

I was surprised about the feedback. It seems very critical and their emotions even now they are nervous about missing something.

I should have asked about types of students they noticed in the class. It seems they are disconnected even with pictures and they don’t help each other out.

I know I matched up questions with the research questions but I don’t know that I really got the answers I wanted for establishing a culture of teaching and learning. Part of it does rest on the small number of students so hopefully with 16, 8 will show up. I just wonder with more participants what it will be like.

Some other questions:

1. What do you think about your technology skills?

2. Do you think your technology skills are good enough or a good match for online learning?

3. Do you think F2F or public school prepares you for online classes?

I do think the next one will be better and meeting with Tara on Thursday will help me talk through it and get a little more organized.

They hated second life and the course layout is nice and very helpful but at the end of the day it’s still “I feel all alone and I’m going to miss something” they both agreed that you needed time management skills and be self-disciplined to be successful.

It is interesting that they both thought it was going to be read a book and take quizzes. That is no way to learn and it’s sad that one of them actually had a class like that. What do you really learn that way? They did acknowledge it adds a level of stress that can inhibit learning. On the right track.

First Entry

So I'm finally creating my blog for my reflections on this dissertation. I'm finally able to think about collecting data and it's a little scary. I hope and pray to get all the participants I need. I'm setting up the questionnaire, wikis and this blog. I need to get help of password protecting.

I also think that I shot myself in the foot by not doing all online classes. Maybe the sciences and other courses fall under general studies. I need to investigate the classes and under what program they are under.