Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:934] Re: IFETS-DISCUSSION digest 138
From: Diane Ehrlich (D-Ehrlich@neiu.edu)
Date: Sat 20 Jan 2001 - 10:10:02 MET
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 03:10:02 -0600 From: Diane Ehrlich <D-Ehrlich@neiu.edu> Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:934] Re: IFETS-DISCUSSION digest 138
I am a professor at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and I teach two
web-enhanced courses. I am currently researching the characteristics that need
to be in place to make the transition to a web-based course. At present, we
still see meeting two or three times face to face where possible. I tend to
agree with Dr. Muirhead's comments and those of others who identify the
specificity needed to guide on-line discussion.
Actually I think the way this list serv is set up provdes an excellent model for
pre-introducing a topic and allowing people a chance to reflect before entering a
discussion. Many members of the list refer to each other's comments, providing
(when it happens) a continuity. We also seem to wantt to establish our
identities and credentials before offering comments so as to palce them into
context for other membrs of the list serv. I also create speicific "tasks" for
students to do or issues for them to solve and find that is also fairly
effective.
I am currretly using a webboard for discussion in the advanced instuctional
design class I teach and find that students are reluctant to participate at
first. Then they seem to make on-connected comments and then they "grow into" a
dialogue. At the beginning I feel as though I am directing traffic, not
dissimilar to what happens in a tradiional classroom. Gradually the discussion
is taking on a life of its own.
The class is project based and I am trying to create a vurtual team as students
work together to solve problems and although it doesn't always work, I do think
it does need risk takers to start it off. There also seems to be a fine line
when I enter the discussion of wanting to direct their comments to me, so I tend
to "lurk" more than contribute. I do feel that it is necessary to carefully
craft each topic and engage students (almost like a TV progrm where they want to
"tune in" so they can catch up.
It is easier with a class that starts at the same time. In addition to my role a
Northeastern Illinois, I am an adjunct faculty member who has gone through
training and not yet taught a Cardean University (the for-profit consortium of
Standford, Carnegie-Mellon, University of Chicago, London School of Economics,
and Columbia on-line program) and it is definitely more difficult to run a guided
dicussion where students enter at different points.
Dr. Diane Ehrlich
Professor Human Resource Development
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL 60625
E-mail: D-ehrlich@neiu.edu
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