My topic is:
Post secondary students and their media preferences in online education.
The questions I want to ask are:
1. Why are the synchronous online office hours without participation (just like face-to-face office hours) when the student-student and instructor-student interactions are so lively asynchronously?
2. If the synchronous Instructor-student and student-student interactions were equipt with voice capabilities as well as writing capabilities (such as Elluminate Live!) would student participation increase? Santa Fe has Angel online office hours which is just typing.
3. Is the necessary scheduling of synchronous online activities causitive of lack of participation? That is, is it too much like having to attend class face-to-face at a particular time?
4. Do these students prefer the anonymity of asynchronous contact? That is, do they prefer the "I can plan and edit what I 'say' before I 'say' it"? situation in asynchronous communications?
I think a study such as this would help me provide better facilitation for my students. And, if the results showed that the students would be more engaged if we had Elluminate Live! or a similar application (speaking as well as writing, holography as well as typing) the proper person would have something to show the money people that would be indicative of possible impact so that we could acquire a technology as nice as that for our students.
There is research in this area but most of it is meta-analytical in nature. (http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/materials/clark/DE_Meta_Fin_Jan11-04.pdf and http://asterix.ednet.lsu.edu/~edtech/Lou/UndergradDE.pdf)
I would like to conduct an actual chat and survey with Santa Fe students in order to find my answers for Santa Fe students. Perhaps I can persuade Debbie, Liz, and Nancy to help me distribute a survey to their students as well as mine in order to increase the sample size. Since the students aren't genetically identical Sprague Dawley rats the Central Limit Theorem does not hold and I would definitely need more than my 13 students.
How about it ya'll? Am I biting off more than I can chew? Is this too specific, Dr. Ferdig?
Suzon
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I'd be glad to help with the survey, although I have no idea what the response would be like. Probably not good which would prove one of your points. I do think that students prefer the asynchronous communication because it gives them a chance to think it over before they post. Don't embarrass yourself in front of the teacher or the other students.
ReplyDeleteHi Suzon,
ReplyDeleteI think your topic is interesting and I will enjoy following it. I have been teaching in the community college for several years now. I can count on one hand the number of students who actually came to my office during office hours. I think it’s a left over from a bygone age.
In this era of text, Twitter, and email, why would we still have to provide actual office hours? If I can’t answer a student’s question from a distance I can certainly arrange a meeting to clear things up.
As far as online hours goes, this is even more unnecessary to me, I think we can effectively serve our students electronically on an as needed basis through email and if needed telephone. Whiteboards are also useful for some subjects.
I am looking forward to your findings,
Mike
I find your questions interesting. I would, however, limit myself to one or two of them.
ReplyDeleteAs far as which to eliminate, I would start by nixing the "Why" question #1. While fascinating, it would be quite difficult to answer it with any rigor or certitude.
#2 would be a good question but you'd have to define "participation."
#3 is interesting but could be very broad. So many factors could be responsible for lack of participation.
#4 would be as simple as asking them, but then you get into all sorts of sticky problems like...
- do they know for themselves
- if they do know, would they answer honestly
- is it just one reason, or a combination (if a combination, can they determine how much weight does anonymity count for
Good luck!
Ya'll,
ReplyDeleteI'm at work using a work computer. I now have a working drop box. It is either a correction or it is something I have or do not have on my computer.
I think this one is going to post.
Suzon