Reducing Isolation in OnLine Classes

1
Reducing Isolation in On-Line Classes

• John P. Broida
• Psychology Department, USM
• National Center for Academic Transformation.

2
Isolation is common

• People tend to study alone.
• Good if your are an introvert, and many students
  are.
• Enables focus and concentration, lack of
  distraction.
• Why dont students do not talk with their
  instructors?
• Dont want to impose, to appear ignorant or
  stupid.
• Why dont students do not talk with their peers?
• Dont want to impose, to appear ignorant, stupid
  or to be a know it all.
• Why dont instructors talk with their students?
• The inequality in the relationship, appearing too
  forward.
• There are just too many of them.

3
We dont really discuss in class

• Most conversations involve talking at rather than
  talking with people.
• Lenny has done a lot of work in this area.
• People are afraid that they will be talked at,
  not listened to.
• Instructors are seen as experts, evaluators,
  rather than involved in the discussion.
• Peers seem to know more than I do.

4
Have people describe themselves

• Encourage people to talk about themselves
• Discussion of who they are, why they are there,
  where they hope to go
• Instructor needs to respond when people post
• You may want to encourage others to respond as
  well.
• Create a web page of pictures/avatars with this
  information.
• Instructor should participate, perhaps start it.
• Encourage people to respond to those who are
  already there.
• If yours is among the first, no need to respond.
  If yours appears after X are there, you must
  respond to Y of them. And, if yours appears
  later, you must respond to that many more of them
  (can be related to date).

5
Have a discussion

• Make sure that the topic has multiple possible
  answers.
• What is the third prime number versus describe
  the roll of genes in your ability to think.
• Dont let students just answer a question. They
  must react to other answers.
• Instructor must respond to all responses
  directly to whoever sent it rather than within
  the discussion.
• Divide class into thirds
• one third answers the question,
• one third responds to two answers,
• one third responds to two responses.
• Then the original responder responds to all who
  respond to her/him.

6
Take advantage of e-mail

• Encourage students to contact you with
  questions/concerns
• Contact each of your students weekly.
• Give praise where appropriate, encourage
  increased or continued effort where necessary.
• Express concern when something is not as good as
  it should be, joy at success.
• Mention the fact that you are available to talk
  about their progress, frustration, future plans
  etc. where appropriate and when you can do so
  comfortably.
• Encourage them to respond to your e-mails.

7
Express concern about how you are doing as an
instructor.

• Encourage feedback, both positive and negative.
• Send out a course evaluation within the first two
  weeks, and again around the midpoint.
• Post the results so that students can see them,
  comment on them.
• If a student contacts you, ask what they think
  might improve the course (if it fits into the
  conversation).
• Consistently emphasize your interest in doing a
  good job as an instructor, and your needing help
  to determine what needs improvement.

8
Small group projects

• Encourage discussion/working with others to
  accomplish a goal.
• Discourage competition for rewards
• Allow people to work outside their group/with
  others in different groups.
• Debates are often a good option, as is artwork.
  Text is harder to make work well.
• I am yet to find a good way to deal with slackers

9
Class projects

• Each person contributes a piece of the puzzle,
  and is entirely responsible for that piece.
• Each person is encouraged to comment on the
  pieces by others, and can change their piece in
  response to what others suggest.
• Each person evaluates their work in relation to
  the project as a whole.

10
Above all, ask for feedback.