testing Walter Dean [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan J St. John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "klausner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 1:30 PM Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: Teaching Sociology Online
> > > I do not think online courses should be limited to students who can't > attend class. I have been teaching online courses over the past 7 > years. Online course require more time for both students and faculty. > I believe classes should be limited to 18 students or less. I also > talk to students on the phone as needed and use snail mail (students > send portfolios to me). Some students come to see me on campus during > regular office hours. I prefer a mix of students. Students I see on > campus (sometimes they have taken other courses with me) may > substantial influence the online class norms. > > Online courses have many benefits. Shy students often participate very > well in asynchronous online discussion (in fact, I may have to > establish limits). Students who process information slowly may blossom > if given a little extra time to respond to questions posed in > discussion. In addition, students and faculty can go back to the > discussion after a few hours with additional information. Students can > review discussion in preparation for the final exam. > > I require college-level writing for all postings. They must be > well-reasoned and supported (using page # of text and/or citations). I > teach (coax or coach) during the discussion, and I check it at least > twice a day, giving feedback (often privately) to individual students. > I strongly recommend that students attend a meeting I hold a few days > before the class begins. My students who are just finishing an 8.5 week > summer course (Family) will take the same (or very similar) final exam > as my regular classroom students (either on-campus or proctored near > their locations). > > I might go so far as to recommend that every undergraduate take at > least one online course. It requires self-dicipline and computer > skills (including backing up materials, online library resources, and > so on) which many students need (at least, at the community college > level). In addition, they learn what to do when their PCs are down - > go to an Internet cafe, public library, or even a computer store! > > Susan St. John > Assoc. Professor of Sociology > Corning Community College > > PS > I still prefer the regular classroom. I do not like offering Intro to > Sociology online - I really like to higher level online courses > (Family, Social Problems). Overall, I am pleased with my online > teaching experience and the student progress in these classes. > > > klausner wrote: > > > >Greetings: > > > >I would like to get opinions of teaching Sociology online...tips, > >experiences with it, students' reactions. My teaching > >approach/philosophy is such that I feel that they should just be used > by > >those students who for various reasons cannot attend classes in - > >person. But I'll try and be open-minded. > > > >Thank you, > >Michael > >
