Hey all,
So, a student from a workshop a little while ago didn't have too great a
time, and asked if their feedback could be shared anonymously with
instructors. Feedback follows; be aware, this person is *angry* about
what happened, but nevertheless has many valid points; I'd like to put
ire aside enough to address the key points within.
**** begin student comments ****
There was a [workshop] that was meant to introduce Luddites like myself
to R and the like. I will admit that R is intimidating, and the
fanatical, almost cult-like regard some have for it is more than a tad
off-putting to me, so I have put such a lesson off. Boy. I should have
put it off longer. The workshop was two days. I came only to the
first, though I had planned to go to the second, too. The first part
was supposed to deal with the uses of Excel, where it was weak, and how
to use it better. Great, I thought. I never had any formal instruction
in Excel, and instead have clawed my way into a decent working knowledge
of it over the last almost two decades. I am very proud of what I can
do with it, and I have found it of great use, but I know there is a ton
I don't know, so I was looking forward to that session. However, that
session ended up being bitterly offensive. The basic message being
conveyed was "you are an idiot for using Excel to do anything expect to
put data into R, and an even worse idiot if you do things to make data
comprehensible to a human." There were snide cartoons, there was
condescension... It was infuriating. The second session was better,
but still lousy. That was the introduction to R. However, there was
little organization. The files we needed to download were not the ones
they told us to download, and this led to a lot of confusion at first.
Then the instructor was very disorganized in [their] teaching style,
mumbling, not explaining what [they were] doing, and so on. [They]
refused to make any handouts explaining the language of R, so we were to
input commands based on what [they] entered by following [their]
projected screen. However, [they] wouldn't stay in the part of the
screen with the commands long enough for us to easily enter the
commands, and then [they] didn't explain how the commands worked. By
the end I was livid, tired, and very stressed. I was in one of those
moods in which I wish I could run through walls or do other Hulk smash
sorts of things. So I didn't go the next day, and decided to get back
into a better state of mind by going on a camping trip.
**** end student comments ****
So, there's a bunch of good content here, but the thing that really
sticks in my pipe is the line about 'There were snide cartoons, there
was condescension...' - I'm certain that there are more perspectives on
whatever was presented, and it all came from a place of good intention,
but having someone walk away from a workshop feeling like 'an idiot' is
something we need to examine whether it was intended or not.
This is a complicated topic. There are a lot of problems with excel, and
if we can give researchers a better option, we should. But there is also
huge value in meeting researchers where they are with respect, and
giving them the opportunity to try something new that will empower them,
rather than denigrating what they have achieved on their own. I admire
researchers who are able to build an analysis framework out of the zero
training they receive on the topic, whether I like the tools they choose
or not. And if we truly want change, let's lead the charge with
opportunity, rather than trying to prod them from behind with aggression.
Which is all very nice to say - but how to do it remains a question. I
think that we are prone to communication misfires like the one described
above when we don't really know how to brooch difficult topics. I
propose that we have a discussion about how to approach spreadsheet
tools in our workshops at the next Instructor Hangouts, one week from
today (on Sept. 26); we can chat about what we want to achieve
surrounding spreadsheets, and how to advertise different tools in a way
that's going to resonate with students, rather than get their shields
up. We're moving to a Hangouts on Air setup for this round, so if you
would like to participate in the conversation at 9AM PDT Sept. 26, let
me know and I will be sure to save you a speaking spot in the hangout;
those that would like to just observe, may do so through the youtube
broadcast (links forthcoming).
Phew! This is a tough one - but it's also an opportunity to reach even
more researchers. Looking forward to what we can come up with together!
--
Bill Mills
Community Manager, Mozilla Science Lab
@billdoesphysics
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