This week's discussion about the importance of social interaction for learning makes me think about online learning. Do you think of online learning in your online class as social? What do you think?
I do think it is social. We are able to have conversation with one another maybe not exactly as if we were in person, but it is close enough to be considered social. I think it would be a little more social if there were a required time that everyone had to be online and we had more of a chatroom type feel, but at the same time that fast paced of a conversation might be difficult in an online setting with so many contributers.
Shelli, I like your idea of a required time for everyone to chat at the same time. I think online classes are social, but not nearly as social as in person. When we type our responses the way we word things is different than if we were in person. For one, once you post it, you can't get it back and two, we don't have all the nonverbal cues that add context to what the person is saying. I feel so much more comfortable with people I have met in real life. I wonder if it would be possible for online classes to have a "kickoff" at the beginning of the semester where we all met in person, or on a platform that allows multiple people to video chat at a time, like google chat. I think if I met everyone I would form deeper relationships with the people in my class.
I think an online class is social. It do not think it is as personal as meeting face-to-face, but we are still interacting with other people. I like our online class because it allows me the time to think about what I am trying to say before I say it. I tend to have anxiety when put in unfamiliar situations, so being able to express my thoughts without everyone staring at me makes me feel more confident in my work. I do agree that having a discussion with people, face-to face, does allow everyone a chance to evaluate the tone of others. This can be beneficial when having a discussion. Although it may not be a traditional way to interact socially with others, online classes are definitely a great way to communicate.
I think online learning can be made social, like this class. Some classes might have students do all their work independently online. However, this class we have conversations and discuss with each other in addition to having independent work. I also agree with Katy with having a kickoff at the beginning of a class! This way the conversations could be more personal because you actually know who you are talking to, rather than talking with complete strangers.
I think online learning can be made social, like this class. Some classes might have students do all their work independently online. However, this class we have conversations and discuss with each other in addition to having independent work. I also agree with Katy with having a kickoff at the beginning of a class! This way the conversations could be more personal because you actually know who you are talking to, rather than talking with complete strangers.
I agree that online learning can be made into social learning. As Meredith mentioned, I think that online classes have the potential to go either way; the class could involve independent work without discussion with classmates, or (like this class) it could require discussions in a blog or forum type setting which requires social interaction. I think that the videos we were asked to post kind of helped us to get a feel for one another and put a face with the names as we respond and discuss each week. I love that Katy mentioned the "non-verbal cues" aspect of learning. I know that I express exactly how I feel or what I think by just the look on my face. I also feel like the way that we type our responses might not be exactly the way it would come out if we were speaking face to face. I know that sometimes I find myself trying to figure out how to type my response in the most straightforward way while still maintaining my personality in the text. As I read more of everyone's responses week to week, I do feel like I am getting to know everyone a little better. It feels much like when you first start reading a book- you aren't sure how the author writes and you have to get accustomed to the writing style. Because we are responding directly to one another and having conversations about the material, I think that social learning is definitely taking place.
I agree that online learning could either be social or not. In this class I feel like it is social, because we get to interact regularly even though it's not in person. I also think that in a face-to-face class, the class is not necessarily social just because students are sitting in the same room once a week. In fact, I've been to classes and professional learning experiences that did not at all seem social. So I believe it's more about the design of the course.
I like the idea of having a few times per semester where we could all participate in a google hangout or something like that. Technology certainly creates new opportunities to be social without being in-person.
You bring up a great point. I never really thought about a face-to-face meeting as not being social. Now that it has been brought to my attention, I have also been to classes where it wasn't very social at all. The participants just sat and listened. That led to no interaction among the class. These particular classes may have been more beneficial if there was more communication among the participants.
I also like the idea of a time of "synchronous" learning- a time when we all came together online at least to chat- but can't require it since this class is "asynchronous". It is difficult to coordinate schedules when a class is online. I do think the videos at the beginning of the class help me to get to know each of you and I am REALLY enjoying your individual blogs! What a great way to learn more about each of you!
This is a very social class! I feel as if I have gotten to know all of my fellow students better than the students I see once a week in my Tuesday night class. One of the classes I took whilst earning my Master's degree was actually an online Thesis Writing class. It focused on the various chapters, as well as statistics and APA formatting. The professor offered students three opportunities each week (that varied since everyone had different schedules) where she would conduct a Google Hangout session. That definitely forced social/cooperative learning but I find that our method of being able to view others' blogs and respond to opposing viewpoints works well for everyone's schedule and does not force a social aspect.
On page 194, Zadina states that she almost always allows students that wish to work independently to do so. I can identify with this because I prefer working alone to working in a group. This class does not force group projects or assignments and does allow for an individual journey through the texts, workbook, and research.
Jamie, I agree, I think most people don't like group work with people we don't see every day. I like the independence of this class, but enjoy chatting with everyone online.
I don't think that this online class is as socially interactive as a traditional class is. We are interacting with each other when we respond to each others posts but there is no continuous dialog like there would be in a face to face conversation. I do however think that the introduction videos and the voice recorded powerpoint make this class more social and personable. Being able to associate a face and/or voice to a name on the blog is important at least to me.
I do think it is social. We are able to have conversation with one another maybe not exactly as if we were in person, but it is close enough to be considered social. I think it would be a little more social if there were a required time that everyone had to be online and we had more of a chatroom type feel, but at the same time that fast paced of a conversation might be difficult in an online setting with so many contributers.
ReplyDeleteShelli, I like your idea of a required time for everyone to chat at the same time. I think online classes are social, but not nearly as social as in person. When we type our responses the way we word things is different than if we were in person. For one, once you post it, you can't get it back and two, we don't have all the nonverbal cues that add context to what the person is saying. I feel so much more comfortable with people I have met in real life. I wonder if it would be possible for online classes to have a "kickoff" at the beginning of the semester where we all met in person, or on a platform that allows multiple people to video chat at a time, like google chat. I think if I met everyone I would form deeper relationships with the people in my class.
ReplyDeleteI think an online class is social. It do not think it is as personal as meeting face-to-face, but we are still interacting with other people. I like our online class because it allows me the time to think about what I am trying to say before I say it. I tend to have anxiety when put in unfamiliar situations, so being able to express my thoughts without everyone staring at me makes me feel more confident in my work. I do agree that having a discussion with people, face-to face, does allow everyone a chance to evaluate the tone of others. This can be beneficial when having a discussion. Although it may not be a traditional way to interact socially with others, online classes are definitely a great way to communicate.
ReplyDeleteI think online learning can be made social, like this class. Some classes might have students do all their work independently online. However, this class we have conversations and discuss with each other in addition to having independent work. I also agree with Katy with having a kickoff at the beginning of a class! This way the conversations could be more personal because you actually know who you are talking to, rather than talking with complete strangers.
ReplyDeleteI think online learning can be made social, like this class. Some classes might have students do all their work independently online. However, this class we have conversations and discuss with each other in addition to having independent work. I also agree with Katy with having a kickoff at the beginning of a class! This way the conversations could be more personal because you actually know who you are talking to, rather than talking with complete strangers.
ReplyDeleteI agree that online learning can be made into social learning. As Meredith mentioned, I think that online classes have the potential to go either way; the class could involve independent work without discussion with classmates, or (like this class) it could require discussions in a blog or forum type setting which requires social interaction. I think that the videos we were asked to post kind of helped us to get a feel for one another and put a face with the names as we respond and discuss each week. I love that Katy mentioned the "non-verbal cues" aspect of learning. I know that I express exactly how I feel or what I think by just the look on my face. I also feel like the way that we type our responses might not be exactly the way it would come out if we were speaking face to face. I know that sometimes I find myself trying to figure out how to type my response in the most straightforward way while still maintaining my personality in the text. As I read more of everyone's responses week to week, I do feel like I am getting to know everyone a little better. It feels much like when you first start reading a book- you aren't sure how the author writes and you have to get accustomed to the writing style. Because we are responding directly to one another and having conversations about the material, I think that social learning is definitely taking place.
ReplyDeleteI agree that online learning could either be social or not. In this class I feel like it is social, because we get to interact regularly even though it's not in person. I also think that in a face-to-face class, the class is not necessarily social just because students are sitting in the same room once a week. In fact, I've been to classes and professional learning experiences that did not at all seem social. So I believe it's more about the design of the course.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of having a few times per semester where we could all participate in a google hangout or something like that. Technology certainly creates new opportunities to be social without being in-person.
You bring up a great point. I never really thought about a face-to-face meeting as not being social. Now that it has been brought to my attention, I have also been to classes where it wasn't very social at all. The participants just sat and listened. That led to no interaction among the class. These particular classes may have been more beneficial if there was more communication among the participants.
DeleteI also like the idea of a time of "synchronous" learning- a time when we all came together online at least to chat- but can't require it since this class is "asynchronous". It is difficult to coordinate schedules when a class is online. I do think the videos at the beginning of the class help me to get to know each of you and I am REALLY enjoying your individual blogs! What a great way to learn more about each of you!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very social class! I feel as if I have gotten to know all of my fellow students better than the students I see once a week in my Tuesday night class. One of the classes I took whilst earning my Master's degree was actually an online Thesis Writing class. It focused on the various chapters, as well as statistics and APA formatting. The professor offered students three opportunities each week (that varied since everyone had different schedules) where she would conduct a Google Hangout session. That definitely forced social/cooperative learning but I find that our method of being able to view others' blogs and respond to opposing viewpoints works well for everyone's schedule and does not force a social aspect.
ReplyDeleteOn page 194, Zadina states that she almost always allows students that wish to work independently to do so. I can identify with this because I prefer working alone to working in a group. This class does not force group projects or assignments and does allow for an individual journey through the texts, workbook, and research.
-Jamie Hipp
Jamie, I agree, I think most people don't like group work with people we don't see every day. I like the independence of this class, but enjoy chatting with everyone online.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this online class is as socially interactive as a traditional class is. We are interacting with each other when we respond to each others posts but there is no continuous dialog like there would be in a face to face conversation. I do however think that the introduction videos and the voice recorded powerpoint make this class more social and personable. Being able to associate a face and/or voice to a name on the blog is important at least to me.
ReplyDeleteMorgan