Subject: Re: [IFETS-DISCUSS] IFETS-DISCUSSION Digest - 7 Jun 2003 to 8 Jun 2003 (#2003-40)
From: Michael Lawrence-Slater (mkls72@UOW.EDU.AU)
Date: Tue 10 Jun 2003 - 11:01:29 MEST
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2003 21:01:29 +1200 From: Michael Lawrence-Slater <mkls72@UOW.EDU.AU> Subject: Re: [IFETS-DISCUSS] IFETS-DISCUSSION Digest - 7 Jun 2003 to 8 Jun 2003 (#2003-40)
The discussion regarding online participation has raised a
number of interesting views which I shall address below.
I should say that I provide facilities for online discussion
irrespective of whether the subject is delivered face-to-face
(f2f), or online. There are a number of reasons why, but the
principal one is to provide an additional means of
communication. It seems to me that one of the key aspects of
learning is communication - between all members of a learning
community, teachers included. It is interesting to note, that
in my studies there has been no significant difference in
online activity per person in either form of subject
delivery.
In many respects online discussion within a subject offers a
unique, perhaps superior, vehicle in enabling communication
across all members of a learning community. For example:
Generally speaking, at least at a tertiary level, students
have little opportunity for communication with their
lecturers. In practice, the opportunity is often limited to
after-lecture discussion whilst walking between venues, or
during the lecturer’s scheduled consultation time (a number
around 30 hours per semester would not be untypical). In
either event, the time for interaction is limited with large
classes (400+). Even in smaller classes (c.100) the available
time per student is minimal. At these times, students often
want to raise, or question, the same point. In such cases a
discussion point raised and discussed in a publicly
accessible forum is available to the entire community of
learners and invites the possibility of a much broader
response and participation than otherwise possible.
Additionally, in an f2f subject, while the topic of the week
will be discussed within the various tutorial classes (more
than 20 in a large subject) the focus of discussion and
viewpoint will, and in a constructivist model, must differ.
An online forum in this event offers an opportunity for the
breadth of views to be posited and discussed – thus, a
subject-wide tutorial discussion forum develops.
As for moderation of the discussion space – well, I don’t.
Partly from the sheer workload that would be involved and
partly because I tend to think that teacher-led, and
moderated discussion can often lead to a narrowing of view
rather than a broadening of the mind.
On the matter of equity in participation, from a study in
progress, I relate a couple of interesting comments. An
international student, for whom English is not the first
language, noted that although the quality of his spoken
English was an inhibiting factor to his participation in an
f2f class, he felt confident to communicate an online forum.
Following a posting that wondered why all students didn’t
participate, an occasional contributor observed that he only
felt inclined to post when he had something to say and often
felt that others had expressed what he would like to say,
only better. This posting prompted a small flurry of
responses from some first-time posters.
Incidentally, I don’t like the term “lurker” either it has
rather unsavoury, furtive connotations. Interestingly,
though, I have heard “experts” in online pedagogy use it!
All the best to active (and passive) participants.
Michael
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Michael Lawrence-Slater
Research Student
Faculty of Education
University of Wollongong
Australia
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