Back in March I started teaching a couple English composition classes online for a military education program. This term I also have a literature class the covers Homer to Shakespeare. Most of my classes last 8 weeks. This one is only 6 weeks. Six weeks to cover over 2000 years of storytelling. It's a challenge.
I have been cogitating, somewhat out of the frustration of creating these classes and somewhat out of the frustration with the online learning that my kids were doing through their school, on the nature of online learning. I fully understand the usefulness of it for my military students who are limited in their ability to attend class, especially those who are deployed. I also am grateful to have finally found a teaching job that I can perhaps take with me with when we move next. I usually meet with many of my students 3 times a term (but not the six week class). Since the classes are for military members, frequently the in-person meetings are just a portion of the students enrolled, and we usually just have time to cover basics - no time for discussion.
This is a loss to me. Teaching online just isn't as much fun. For one, I don't get a night out each week to go talk about books and writing. And I miss live, actual discussions. Discussion boards last all of 1 comment. If it is really good there might be a reply, but usually just a post into the void. Maybe I need to get better at asking questions - or make the discussions happen in real time. In live classes the discussions are what bring about the ah -ha moments are what made teaching most enjoyable. To a certain extent, in the online "discussions" there are some exchanges of ideas and perhaps some learning that takes place in the forced comments. But more of an "Oh that's a neat idea" kind of way, not an "I comprehend!" "I am moved!" "I see more/differently/deeper!" sort of way.
Another drawback to me is the presentation of information. I am not technologically savvy enough to create fancy video lectures. The couple lectures I recorded were extremely boring and took forever to upload. Then I tried Jing - which is a little more user friendly but only allows for 5 minute recordings over a static image. So I mostly rely on written information - which probably are read about 67% of the time and to 57% of completeness. I also post links to the full version of selected readings and to video productions of many of the works - or in the case of the writing class, to other teacher's snazzier presentations of material. But I do very little textual analysis - another item lost when not teaching in person. It's something I should add, but I am afraid more written material will overwhelm students who don't like reading (even though they are taking a reading class).
In addition to modelling how to read analytically, when I teach in person I try to model how to do some writing strategies - or have other students share their ideas and their work in order to demonstrate the kind of content complexity and grammatical proficiency I look am looking for in written work. Online I simply assign a paper and then post a link to a sample paper somewhere on the internet. And every term there is someone who tries to copy a paper on the internet, or a portion of one, perhaps accidentally. No fear! There is a plagiarism detector for that!
(Every term I also have a student who writes about the benefits of legalizing marijuana. Benefits for whom, I have to ask? A benefit for students in online classes who can smoke while typing?)
Of course, online education doesn't allow for the type of immediate clarification that happens when a student needs reassurance or assistance - like how to take the marijuana article a step deeper. I can answer emails and send messages, but what I share isn't instantly available to all. I know I could do more realtime class meetings, but right now I haven't set up the technology to do so, and since half my students are on ships or stationed on remote island missile ranges, I don't think realtime class meetings would be beneficial for everyone.
Finally, there is the weak community. Some of my students do know each other, and they meet at our brief meets, but there is little real community. No one is motivated by a computer, but if a friend says, hey read this, you are more likely to actually read it.
The thing that makes me feel like a hoax is that this six week course is supposed to be the same amount of work as an eight week course or a 16 week course. Does anyone really believe this? Does anyone look closely enough at a transcript later in life? I assign plenty to read, but it's impossible to expect a student taking two classes and working full time and juggling family responsibilities to read the Odyssey in a week. So I post summaries and summaries of summaries, and try to balance reading, writing, and life.
I am absolutely unconvinced students learn better online. Is there any data for this? Any surveys that have mapped deep learning online? Students may be able to learn, but unless they are incredibly self motivated, it's too easy not to to do the reading, let alone engage with it. Some students give it their best effort, but others do not give it much thought. But there are lazy students who come to in person classses unprepared, too. Here's hoping I reach them all with something to remember about literature.
