I had never given it much consideration but maybe online environments are where our scholarly professors actually thrive, in not only their work but in their interaction with us as students. Maybe their online personhood has allowed us to get to know them better than we ever would have been able to in a classroom setting...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Professor Relationships...
I was thinking, as we are talking about online relationships. What about within our online classes the relationships with our professors. I have a history class going on right now online, I listen to my professor speak and lecture multiple times a week, we e-mail back and forth every day, there is blogging, commenting and discussion. I feel like I know him just as well if not better with some professor whom I have had in class and never interacted with personally (which because of the nature of my profession, is very very rare)
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Maxie,
ReplyDeleteI never thought about it that way, but yeah now that you mention it, it could be true in some cases. I know in my case Im kind of shy so an online class works out for me. When there is consistent communication like there can be on the internet (You could technically be in communication 24 hrs a day) I think there is opportunity for interaction on a level that isn’t found in big lecture halls.
I've thought about this before (re: online professors). I think it's a fascinating relationship. Think about it:
ReplyDelete1. The professor cannot see your body language, hear your sarcasm, or enjoy your intellectual aura. This gets lost in translation when online.
2. The professor deals with words on a screen. That is all. Some people don't "translate" when dealing in the online word; some people exhibit their intellect verbally.
However, here are the positives:
1. The professor doesn't judge you based on appearance. As much as we like to think we're above it, I think professors make assumptions about one's intellect on appearance.
2. The professor observes your intellectual output. How many times have you heard someone talk in class solely because s/he wanted to hear himself/herself vomit out an anecdote? Not very productive, is it?
3. The professor avoids "ass kissing." There's a lot of that in academia -- and everywhere, for that matter.
4. The professor avoids grade grubbing. This can be extremely annoying.
5. The professor doesn't have to make any kind of emotional investment. If s/he is a bit socially awkward, the online format might be the best bet.
Alright, I've provided food for thought. I better go and watch three kids take my final exam. P.S. -- I wish THEY were an online apparition at this point!