Today
I expressed the opinion on Twitter that conversations and connections
made in online classes are deeper and more layered than those which
occur in face-to-face classes. Not only do I believe this strongly based
on my experiences in online education as a student, designer, and
instructor over the last 13 years but I have comments from many, many
students to back this assertion up. I think a discussion of how and why
this occurs may require more than one blog post so consider this the
start of a conversation. Conducted online... hmmm
Let
me start with that hmmm. Whomever is reading this post is now part of a
conversation which I very likely never would have had in person. In
fact this morning's Twitter exchange with two other educators would
never have happened face-to-face, I have never been to the institutions
represented by those in the conversation. Online you can connect with
people you never would meet IRL (in real life). Online classes bring
together a more diverse population than happens in most face-to-face
settings. My student population in any particular class might inhabit 3,
4, or more countries all around the globe. Their ages, backgrounds, and
culture are usually very diverse. The only thing they have in common is
an interest in the topic being studied and an Internet connection.
Deeper
conversations occur because of the tools we use in online courses.
First picture a traditional classroom. The instructor has a set amount
of time for the instructional activities and student questions before
students set off for the next class. If Student A asks a question which
takes 15 minutes of the discussion time then other members of the class
may not get to ask their question at all. Or perhaps they ask it after
class where they may get a hurried response other students do not hear
and do not benefit from as part of the learning environment.
In
an online asynchronous discussion every student can ask questions and
get answers from the instructor. Other students can be a part of the
discussion of all of those questions. The discussion occurs over a long
period of time, such as a week, which allows time for further thought,
research, and formulation of well-considered answers and responses. This
deepening of the response is something I rarely experienced in
face-to-face classes but it is a very regular part of discussions in my
online classes.
I
am going to post this and start the conversation. In the meantime I am
going to mull the other points rattling around in my brain. I am also
going to gather quotes from students about how connected they feel to
other students and instructors in online courses. This conversation is
likely going to take some time. No bell is going to ring to stop the
conversation at the end of a class session. That's not the way
conversations happen online.
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