ANTH_199AK_FA03 Behind the Ratio
Nicole Ortegon
(ortegon@uiuc.edu)
(ready to use)
EXPLORE
About the ethnographer
In configuring the EXPLORE section of your IP (Inquiry Page), we want you to do some numerical/statistical surfing. We know that the syllabus URLs gave you too much to chew on. But here are some more specific things that you might do. As you do these you might be thinking about the BIG PICTURE for the "little" research that you want to do. For example, if you know that you are interested in the budget at UIUC then budget information at the state and national level will help you, so to speak, "nest" your project.
1. compare some states on the basis of parameters that interest you.
http://measuringup.highereducation.org/2002/stateprofilenet.cfm
or
http://measuringup.highereducation.org/
I think you will be able to figure it out from here.
2. Go here to compare/contrast UIUC, UIC, and UIS along some parameters that interest you. For example, if you know that you are interested in Latino/as at UIUC, you might want to look at race/ethnicity figures for all 3 campuses.
http://www.uoapa.uillinois.edu/databook/
3. Go here to create several customized reports. For example if you are interested in Engineering vs. the rest of the campus you can ask for very specific info about the engineering vs., let's say, the English department
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu/cp/
We hope that you will play with these to discover things of interest. When you find them you can both link to the information -- if you can --- or cut and paste it in. But in any case, it is critical that you let everyone know why the information strikes you as relevant/interesting -- both in general and in relation to your burgeoning interests.
OTHER THINGS you might do:
1. Introduce some university narratives (ones we reviewed together -- or better yet find new ones) that intrigue you.
2. Introduce information about higher education generally (e.g., the Boyer report -- http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf/ ) that again interests you -- generally, or more specifically with regard to your burgeoning interesrts.
3. Here is the URL for the list of sources for Measuring Up 2000/2002 -- run with it: follow some leads.
Although it is not necessary that your EXPLORE section tell us where you are going(you don't really need to know exactly yet), it should give us and future EOTU users a sense of where you began -- in other words of the kind of questions/ searching/ surfing/ discoveries that set you on your path..
December 17, 2003
ABOUT THE ETHNOGRAPHER:
I am an Anthropology major and an English minor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Last year, upon becoming an EOTU (Ethnography of the University) intern, I was introduced to research on pedagogy and the field of Higher Education. Working as an Anthropology tutor for the Office of Minority Student Affairs, I am constantly learning from students the kinds of educational practices they consider most and least beneficial and WHY. I would like to consider more on HOW educational practices might be improved to be of even greater benefit to both students and teachers. Already having a passion for Anthropology and its methodologies, and developing an intense interest in pedagogical practices, it was amazing for me to conduct a research project that employed ethnography to investigate questions concerning the educational experience of students and faculty as well as their shared educational experiences. In addition to serving as an EOTU research intern and OMSA Anthropology tutor, I have recently joined the EBC (The Ethnography of the Brown Jubilee Commemoration) research team as a student ethnographer/researcher.
September 24, 2003
I found last week's unit on statistical narratives to be particularly intriguing, especially in regards to the multiple paths one can take in arriving at a student/faculty ratio. According to the glossary I encountered while searching the management and information websites (http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu ), the term faculty encompasses professors, associate professors, and assistant professors. The category "students," accounts for undergraduates, graduates, and professional students. If the student to faculty ratio is determined adhering to the glossary definition of faculty, it results in an approximately 19:1 student/faculty ratio. However, if teaching assistants are taken into account, the ratio becomes approximately 15 students per 1 faculty member. The ratio becomes even smaller, as low as 12:1, if, in addition to professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and teaching assistants, instructors and research staff and assistants are as well factored into the equation. How do such numbers relate to actual student and faculty life? Do students perceive of teaching assistants as similar or equal to faculty members? Do students differentiate and/or feel differently towards lecture versus discussion section teaching assistants? What would be a more accurate definition of a student/faculty ratio in terms of quality versus quantity? That is, do students "feel" a 19:1 ratio in terms of the help they receive from professors and etcetera and/or the student/faculty interaction they experience? Does spatial proximity between students and faculty/TAs in the classroom setting affect how students interpret such interaction? How do students, as well as faculty members, "experience" the ratio?
October 4, 2003
The following is the "URL Pathway" I followed, which led me to various University Body definitions (such as "student" and "faculty") as well as numerical data on the number of students, faculty, and etcetera:
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu (DMI Homepage)
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu/cp/ (Campus Profile)
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu/cp/glossary03/G000.HTM (Glossary)
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu/cp/glossary03/g360.htm (Students)
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu/cp/glossary03/g100.htm (Faculty and Staff)
http://www.dmi.uiuc.edu/nca/bidc.html (Full-time Instructional Staff and Faculty Demographics) |
Unit Keywords
|
kw:ratio, kw:student, kw:faculty, kw:student to faculty ratio, kw:teaching assistants, kw:qualitative narratives, kw:statistical narratives, kw:university terminology, kw:classroom, kw:spatial proximity, kw:classroom condition, kw:technology, kw:technology and education, kw:education, kw:educational studies, kw:interaction, kw:student interaction, kw:faculty interaction, kw:student and faculty interaction, kw:discussion sections, kw:classroom size, kw:classroom composition |
Partner Projects
| Ethnography of the University |
INQUIRE
Rationale of the Unit
TBA
October 4, 2003
Prior to addressing my current research questions, goals, and project ambitions in general, I'd like to first give an overview of the ideas and questions I initially formulated, as a way of outlining my thought process in coming to my new project focus. The following is an "email log" of my initial project ideas and the response to those ideas from my Professors, Nancy Abelmann and William Kelleher, and Community Artist, Anna Callahan:
At 04:45 PM 8/29/2003 -0500, ortegon wrote:
Hello,
After the EOTU meeting today, I spoke with Nancy about a project idea I have for my Anth 199 class. As the project involves visual images, Nancy suggested I email you regarding my idea. Because one of the main focuses of the EOTU project is on pedagogy, I thought it would beneficial to exam the types of classrooms in which student learning typically takes place here at the university. My thinking was that I could take pictures of the different classroom setups (i.e. lecture halls, small discussion classrooms, etc.) and analyze how different spatial setups may effect and/or influence student learning. Perhaps you could help me in organizing the images and creating a web layout for the visual portion of my research. As part of my project, I'd like to interview students, asking them questions regarding their impression of classroom configurations at the University of Illinois and in what ways they think spatial arrangements contribute to or detract from the learning process. For instance, I've noted that a lot of students feel that large lecture rooms make it easier for student absences to go unnoticed (which undoubtedly effects most student's learning progress). I'm also interested in how the classroom arrangement effects student engagement with both faculty and fellow student members (and, consequently, the learning process). I believe spatial arrangement entails not only the position of objects in the room, such as chairs, desks, and podiums, for example, but also the position of professors in relation to students as well as students in relation to other students. Does spatial arrangement influence a student's opinion of a class, and if so, in what ways and why? This is just a brief synopsis of my project idea. Would you be willing to work with me on the construction of a visual presentation of the classroom setups and university buildings (which I hope can then be added to the EOTU website)?
Thank you,
Nicole Ortegon
At 01:02 PM 9/3/2003 -0500, you wrote:
Hello,
My friend is an elementary education major, and yesterday I was talking with her about classroom setups and what is encouraged, as far as seating and other spatial arrangements are concerned, in the elementary levels. She's provided me with a couple of resources that outline what spatial arrangements are now considered to enhance the learning environment. I thought it might be interesting to compare the elementary school spatial arrangements to those at a university level. While there are obvious differences in age groups, which might effect what is considered the "best" spatial arrangement for learning, I believe that some principles apply to students across the board. Just thought this might be an interesting venue to pursue...
Thanks,
Nicole
At 03:46 PM 8/31/2003 -0500, William F. Kelleher wrote:
Nicole,
I really like both your ideas a lot. The virtual ethnography will make a great teaching tool. I am particularly excited about your proposed 199 project. If you want to study my anthropolgy 188 class, I would welcome it. It is a lecture class of 90 students. We have lost the discussion sections for this class, so I'm trying to rearrange the course to include discussion in lectue: small groups, 3 groups of 30 at times, discussions with everybody at other times. Using space productively will be a large part of any success this course might have. I'd love to have you interview students about it etc. The class meets TuTh at 2-3:20.
best,
Bill
At 04:05 PM 8/31/03 -0500, Nancy Abelmann wrote:
Hi all,
WOW, it just occurred to me that Nicole's project has an important political edge just NOW -- when in so many parts of the campus sections have been dispensed with (because of funding). It would be fabulous to look at several such classes -- this is a moment in which there will still be a public memory of there having been sections such that the very "meaning" of the lecture/hall will be quite (locally) historically specific. Also it would be great to get some numbers for all of this.
Exciting!
n.
As hopefully illuminated by the above emails, my initial project endeavors focused more closely on classroom spatial arrangement and design and its affects on student learning. However, as stated in the “Explore” portion of my research, after encountering statistics on the student to faculty ratio (and the variety of paths one can take in arriving at such numbers), my focus shifted to one more centered on how students and faculty members "feel the ratio," moving behind the numbers and behind the ratio. The political edge that Nancy remarks on in her email, however, still bears significance on my current project ideas. As indicated, due to budget cuts, many of the discussion sections have been eliminated, forcing a lecture setting to be the primary learning environment for students. In my Explore section I ask, "Do students perceive of teaching assistants as similar or equal to faculty members? Do students differentiate and/or feel differently towards lecture versus discussion section teaching assistants? What would be a more accurate definition of a student/faculty ratio in terms of quality versus quantity? That is, do students "feel" a 19:1 ratio in terms of the help they receive from professors and etcetera and/or the student/faculty interaction they experience?" If in interviewing students, I find that there is a difference between how students perceive of their interaction with lecture TAs versus discussion TAs (and whether or not this affects their opinion as to whether or not they include TAs under the category of faculty), it will become critical to consider what happens to students’ perceptions of TAs when there are no more discussion sections, and when they can only encounter TAs in a lecture setting. With the loss of discussion sections, spatial proximity might become more critical in terms of student interaction with faculty and other academic staff and ultimately affect how students (and faculty) "feel the ratio." In my “Explore” section I also ask, "Does spatial proximity between students and faculty/TAs in the classroom setting affect how students interpret such interaction? How do students, as well as faculty members, "experience" the ratio?" With the elimination of discussion sections, students and faculty are deprived of a more intimate learning environment. Discussion sections are thought to allow for a smaller number of students in the classroom (a smaller amount of students per instructor) and encourage a more open environment for discussion. However, a lecture setting might consist of hundreds of students and one faculty member, and due to the perhaps intimidating large population of students, discourage students from asking questions and pursuing a dialogue among fellow students as well as faculty. As Bill writes from his experience pertaining to discussion section cuts, "Using space productively will be a large part of any success this course might have." Why might some, as Bill does, feel the need to create a form of discussion section within lecture, and how might this relate to "experiencing" the student to faculty ratio? My project interest lies in discovering 1) How students and faculty perceive of the student to faculty ratio; 2) How the ratio is "experienced" and/or "felt" in everyday University encounters; and 3) How the loss of discussion sections has influenced student/faculty and academic staff interaction (thinking also in terms of spatial proximity) and how this ultimately influences the meanings behind the ratio. |
Project diary
TBA
October 4, 2003
At first I was resistant to my wanting to alter and/or shift my research focus, though I'm not sure exactly why… It is helpful that the inquiry web environment provides a space for exploration, revision, and reflection. I find that such an environment enables a sense of comfort regarding notions of change, as thoughts are not static but are constantly evolving. In retrospect, I feel positive, almost empowered, by my decision to change focus. Research is a process, not merely an outcome. Therefore, it is beneficial to be able to document each "step" of my research, examining my thought processes, developments, the entire workings behind my research, rather than just looking at an "end product."
October 8, 2003
In relation to my October 4th diary entry, I'd like to add some of my thoughts and perceptions regarding Cathy A. Small's ethnography, Voyages. I find it quite admirable that Cathy Small, after investing years of time and effort in studying Tongan gender politics, should ultimately change her focus from a gendered centered study to one concerned primarily with migration and, particularly, the affects of migration, not only on Tongan Americans, but also on Tongans who remain in Tonga. Many times, I have begun research projects, and, towards the end of them, have wanted to write about a subject considerably distanced from my initial inquiries. Yet, I'm often hesitant to do so, when I reflect upon how much work I've already invested in the project (though of course deadlines must also be taken into consideration). Therefore, I'm pleased that Cathy communicates to her readers part of her own journey as a writer and as an ethnographer, narrating her journey of inquiry. |
Research Plan
TBA
October 11, 2003
In order to gain a more general kind of insight into student perception of the student to faculty ratio, I'd like to first begin by asking students to provide me with an "off the top of their heads," intuitive estimate of the student to faculty ratio at the University of Illinois. Subsequently, I'd like students to provide me with a student to faculty ratio, which they believe most accurately reflects and/or represents their student to faculty interactions and experiences at the University of Illinois. What does a student to faculty ratio mean in terms of student and faculty interaction, in terms of everyday rather than statistical narratives? I'm also interested in learning whether or not the student to faculty ratio was an important determining factor in selecting a college/university, and, if so, why; also, has it remained an important factor? Or, if it was not a consideration before, has it become important during a student's attendance at the university, and, if so, in what ways and why? After students have disclosed their student to faculty ratio estimates, I’d like to inquire as to their definitions of the terms "student" and faculty" (and how they've formulated such definitions (i.e. Do they consider TAs faculty members, why or why not?).
Note: I would also like to interview faculty members as well as other academic staff, presenting to them similar (if not the same) questions as those asked of students.
Researching "behind the student to faculty ratio" in relation to the loss of discussion sections:
1) Investigate what courses have had their discussion sections dropped.
2) Interview faculty/academic staff who are now teaching a course that used to have discussion sections but no longer does. Has the loss of discussion sections affected their teaching methods, course objectives, and etcetera, and, if so, how? What are their personal reactions to discussion section cuts? Have their interactions with students been altered as a result of discussion section cuts, and, if so, how?
3) Interview students who have taken courses when discussion sections were still part of the curricula and compare their learning and student to faculty (as well as student to student) interaction experiences to those experiences of students who are now taking the same courses minus the discussion sections. Do their narratives differ significantly, and, if so, in what ways?
4) If possible, interview some of the students I tutor, as they are now taking some Anthropology courses that no longer have discussion sections, courses that I, too, took but when there were discussion sections. Compare and contrast their experiences of the courses with my own.
5) Take pictures of different University learning environments, such as lecture halls versus classrooms. Present pictures to both students and faculty/academic staff. Inquire as to whether or not they prefer one type of learning environment to another and why or why not. Ask interviewees what they consider to be the pros and cons of each type of learning environment. How does spatial proximity of academic staff to students (and vice versa) or students to fellow students differ with each environment? Does spatial proximity of academic staff to students (and vice versa) or students to fellow students make one type of learning environment more appealing and why or why not? In short, what are the affects of different spatial arrangements in terms of class engagement and course participants' interaction with one another? |
Project diary
TBA
October 11, 2003
Before coming to the University of Illinois, a lot of people I spoke with would comment on its remarkable size, particularly in regard to its student body. People who hadn't attended the school, and especially those who were considering attending a smaller institution, often stated that they feared "becoming just another body, a number" at such an enormous institution. A University narrative that I encountered worked to alleviate such concerns by stressing the fact that even though the University had a markedly large population, the University had ways of making the environment "feel" smaller. For example, I remember how as a freshman I was amazed that I would at times be surrounded by hundreds of fellow students during lecture. Yet, discussion sections brought everything down to a smaller scale. A smaller number of students (+/-25 versus 100s) allowed for a more open discussion between students but also between academic staff (i.e. TAs) and students. Therefore, the "Big University" didn't always seem so big... How has the loss of discussion sections affected the University's ability to mitigate people's fears of attending such a large-scale university? Students can still go to both their Professor's as well as their TA's office hours, if they're wanting to discuss course related issues in a smaller learning environment. (Will a loss of discussion sections eventually result in an increased amount of students attending office hours?) Nevertheless, with the loss of discussion sections, students have a more limited opportunity to engage in an open class discussion with their fellow peers and consequently a more limited opportunity to gain insight into a larger variety of perspectives.
October 11, 2003
Perhaps I can interview some of the students I tutor, as they are now taking some Anthropology courses that no longer have discussion sections, courses that I, too, took but when there were discussion sections. It might prove beneficial to compare and contrast their experiences of the courses with my own.
October 14, 2003
As short assignment number three pertains to our project methods, I've included said document as one of my uploaded files.
|
Readings, Keywords, and Constructs
TBA
October 11, 2003
As of yet, I'm not sure how (or whether or not) I will ultimately utilize the following information. Nevertheless, I found it to be interesting and of potential relevance to my project.
http://www.aale.org/edstand.htm (The Academy's Education Standards)
Section D: Teaching and Educational Resources
"The faculty is the body principally responsible for implementing the curriculum of a liberal arts college or program, as well as for ensuring that its educational objectives are met. Accordingly, the Academy believes that the primary activity of a liberal arts faculty is teaching, understood both in the special sense of classroom instruction and more broadly, as the guidance and mentoring essential to the formation of liberally educated persons."
"The Academy’s Teaching and Educational Resources standards invite institutions to reflect and report on the ways its teaching faculty, pedagogical and advisement practices, and educational resources enable it to carry out its mission and achieve its educational objectives."
Standard Thirteen:
"Class size is appropriate to subject matter, level of instruction, and need for class discussion."
Standard Fourteen
"Regular faculty members, including senior ones, teach introductory general education courses, as well as introductory courses within majors, and are regularly engaged in academic counseling."
October 20, 2003
The following quotations were taken from Richard J. Light's, Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 2001.
"Third, how important is class size for students' learning, engagement with their academic work, and overall academic experience?"
"Good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience?"
(Note: Relate to faculty advisors and student to faculty interaction).
"He was the first professor who was more interested in trying to understand what matters to me..."
(Note: Quality of relationship, relate to "experiencing" the ratio in terms of interaction (quality/quantity)).
When are opportunities made available for student and faculty interaction and how are such opportunities utilized (i.e. classroom setting, office hours, assistance with coursework or beyond coursework advising in a more general sense)?
"...part of a great college education depends upon human relationships."
"'Your job is to get to know one faculty member reasonably well this semester, and also to have that faculty member get to know you reasonably well."
"I understand that on some large campuses it may be far harder for students to implement this idea. Yet I would still urge any student to make the effort. Suppose on certain larger campuses a student only gets to know two professors reasonably well in four years, rather than one per semester. I am convinced that student will be far better off, and will have a far richer experience, than if he or she gets to know no professors at all."
(Note: Does the University of Illinois enable and/or encourage students to "get to know" a faculty member and vice versa, and if so, how? What affects have such engagements had on both student and faculty members? (Possibly interview Nancy about her reaching out (i.e. via her emails) to her students and their response(s))).
"Of all students who were asked this question, 89 percent quickly identified a particular professor. They explained in detail how these professors had changed them."
How do University of Illinois students respond to the question: "Can you think of any particular faculty member who has had a particularly important impact on you? In shaping the way you think about yourself, or life, or the world around you, or your future? If yes, tell us what this faculty member did that had such a strong impact."
(Note: How might students' answers to the above question (their narratives) relate to and/or reflect his or her "experience" of the student to faculty ratio?)
"And fourth, we got a full sense of the diversity of opinions, and experiences, and interpretations, as presented by the other fourteen people in the room. I got insights from that single discussion that I remember to this day. The big thing for me was to see how the backgrounds different people came from have such an enormous influence on the way they interpret readings."
"There is a lot of talk on campus about students learning from one another. I think most professors don't always capitalize on the incredible diversity that students bring to actual classroom situations. Students will bring different perspectives, experiences, and interpretations to the classroom discussion. The discussion will be richer. I bet we all learn more as a result."
(Note: Relate to class size and the unique learning environment small discussion sections enable).
"Research universities inevitably have some large classes. Some students express a wish for fewer large courses. So when any student talks about a professor who created a participatory atmosphere in a large class, I take special note. When choosing their courses, students at any college or university may want to look for professors who, even when teaching large classes, still get students actively engaged in what goes on in the classroom."
"For those few minutes, it was as if our large and occasionally impersonal class were in a small-group session. Everyone was debating with their neighbors how they thought about this challenge. Whenever something like this can be worked into a large class, it makes what could be pretty impersonal into a far more personal experience."
How is a participatory atmosphere established in a large classroom setting and why might its establishment be essential to a student's learning experience?
October 20, 2003
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i35/35a01201.htm
From the issue dated May 9, 2003
By THOMAS BARTLETT
October 21, 2003
Anderson, Worth; Best, Cynthia; Black, Alycia; Hurst, John; Miller, Brandt; and Miller, Susan. Cross-Curricular Underlife: A Collaborative Report on Ways with Academic Words. College Composition and Communication. Vol. 41, No. 1. February 1990.
October 29, 2003
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Making the Most of Large Classes. A Report of the LAS Teaching Academy (LASTA). 2003. |
Project diary
TBA
October 20, 2003
I know I won't end up using all of the quotations and evidence displayed above. However, this is intentional. Often when I'm working on a research project I take a multitude of information into consideration, initially, but later engage in a kind of "pick and choose" process selecting the information I think best supports (or perhaps counters) my argument(s). It's a little overwhelming, at first, but in the end the process helps me to better trace my line of thoughts and eventually narrow my focus in terms of what evidence I wish to utilize and how.
October 20, 2003
Today I briefly introduced my project to one of the students I tutor. I'll be contacting her soon in order to set up an interview. I think the interview will produce valuable information, as she is currently enrolled in two lecture courses (an Anthropology course and a Speech Communications course) that have both retained their discussion sections. I'd like to interview her about her discussion section experiences and how she perceives of her relationship both to her TA as well as to her fellow students, how she would characterize their interactions. I’m planning on developing a set of interview questions prior to our meeting (making sure to also ask about discussion section size and spatial arrangement and proximity). |
Field Notes
TBA
NOTE: Interview information is also contained within the “Discuss” section, as some of my research finding discussions developed directly from my interviews. Therefore, in the "Discuss" section, I move from interview excerpts into an analysis of them and how they contribute to my overall project and (at least as of now) my research "conclusions."
October 18, 2003
http://home.insightbb.com/~n.ortegon
At this site you can view the pictures I took for this project, while "Out in the Field."
October 27, 2003
During one of my tutoring sessions today, one of the student’s I work with commented on the way in which I speak of her professor. She stated that my classroom experience and engagement with the professor must have been different from her own, remarking on how I talk about the teacher as being "cool" and "friendly;” she said she never really gets to experience the more personal side of her professor, because "the teacher doesn't come out of her structure in our class." She then asked me how many students were in my (Anth 270) class-I estimated probably between 30-40. She estimated that her course had 200, if not over 200 students and followed up her estimation by telling me that she thought a course like this (Anth 104) might work better in a smaller classroom environment. At the end of our session, she agreed to do an interview with me addressing issues such as why she would prefer to have that particular class taught in a smaller environment and what benefits might result in doing so. I also plan to interview her about her discussion section for the course.
I also talked with another student today who has agreed to do an interview. She has classes that are lecture only (with several lecture TAs) and also classes that have discussion sections and discussion section TAs. One student informed me of how her professor actually leads one of the discussion sections, rather than a TA doing so.
October 29, 2003
To view the interview questions I've developed, thus far, please open the uploaded file, BehindtheRatioQuestions.doc
December 17, 2003
Student Interview:
Rather than account for another student interview in its entirety, I have included here only those aspects that differ greatly from other student narratives, perceptions, and opinions (which are discussed in the "Discuss" section).
I asked a female, sophomore undergraduate to provide me with a (quantitative) estimate of the student to faculty ratio. She replied, "1:75." I then asked her to provide me with a second estimate of the ratio, this time thinking in terms of how she "experienced" the ratio in her every day classroom/office hour interactions, for example. Her new estimate was "1:30." THE STUDENT'S INITIAL ESTIMATE OF "1:75" IS PARTICULARLY INTRIGUING, AS SHE LATER INFORMED ME THAT DURING HER FRESHMEN, 1ST SEMESTER, ALL OF HER CLASSES HAD FEWER THAN TWENTY PEOPLE. I WOULD EXPECT A STUDENT WHOSE CLASSES WERE GENERALLY SO LOW IN CLASS SIZE TO HAVE A SMALLER ESTIMATE OF THE STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO. NANCY'S HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT PERHAPS THE STUDENT PERCEIVES OF HER EXPERIENCE AS UNIQUE, AS SHE KNOWS SHE IS AT A LARGE INSTITUTION AND THEREFORE ATTEMPTED TO BASE HER ESTIMATE ON WHAT SHE IMAGINED OTHER STUDENT EXPERIENCES TO BE.
Another interesting facet to this interview, which did not come up within other student interviews, was the student remarking on how a professor once told her that now that there were 209 students in the class, he/she wasn't going to read 209 essays and so "it's going to be multiple choice." THE STUDENT'S NARRATIVE OF HER PROFESSOR'S NARRATIVE IS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT IT EMPHASIZES THE WAY IN WHICH CLASS SIZE CAN EFFECT METHODS OF LEARNING ASSESSMENT; THIS RELATES TO A LARGER POINT I HAVE DISCOVERED IN MY RESEARCH REGARDING STUDENT DESIRE FOR ADEQUATE FEEDBACK (FOR EXAMPLE IN RESPONSE TO THEIR ESSAYS) AND THE REALISTIC AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK THAT CAN BE EXPECTED FROM PROFESSORS, ESPECIALLY IN LARGE/LECTURE CLASSES. THE "TIME-FACTOR" HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS OF LARGE CLASSES. CAN A LECTURE SIZED COURSE INCLUDE ESSAY WRITING AS ONE OF ITS MEASUREMENTS OF LEARNING? EVEN IF PROFESSORS AND TAS COULD "GRADE" OVER 200 WRITING ASSIGNMENTS, WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK COULD THEY OR SHOULD THEY BE EXPECTED TO GIVE STUDENTS ON THEIR WORK?
The student also discussed how she took Anthropology 103 as a discovery course. The course met two days a week, and there were approximately 18 students in the course. One day was devoted to discussion and the other to lecture. I then asked the student whether or not she believed that the class could have "worked the same way" without discussion sections. She replied, "No because in discussion we debated and all talked about problems and materials. In lecture, there is no chance to put in your input in working with other people." IN RELATION TO OTHER STUDENT NARRATIVES, HER NARRATIVE EMPHASIZES THE POINT THAT DISCUSSION SECTIONS ARE OF PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE IN COURSES THAT REQUIRE STUDENTS TO FORMULATE AND SHARE THEIR OPINIONS AND PERSPECTIVES, TO "PUT IN THEIR INPUT" ON COURSE ISSUES AND TOPICS OF DEBATE.
THE STUDENT ALSO DISCUSSED SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT AS BEING AN IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT CAN EITHER ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE STUDENT-STUDENT AND STUDENT-FACULTY INTERACTION. For instance, she stated that (in smaller settings) arranging seats in a circle can foster discussion because "it's nice to see everyone, and it doesn't feel like the teacher is the head of the class and everyone else is below. It feels more equal. It encourages you to talk and participate, not just listen." FROM HER NARRATIVE (AND OTHERS), IT SEEMS THAT STUDENTS VERY MUCH PERCEIVE THERE TO BE A HIERARCHICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS AND ARE CONSCIOUS OF SUCH A SEPARATION. IT IS INTERESTING TO CONSIDER THE USE OF SPACE AND SEATING ARRANGEMENT (SUCH AS THE CIRCLE FORMATION THE STUDENT DESCRIBED) AS AN ELEMENT THAT COULD WORK TO MITIGATE SUCH HIERARCHICAL DISTINCTION AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO SPEAK MORE FREELY, FEELING MORE ON AN EQUAL PLANE IN THE DISCUSSION.
Another intriguing part of the interview was when the student told her narrative of how she came to pursue a major in International Studies. She said that she once took a course on global inequality and that the professor required the students to attend a number of outside class events and write papers on them. THE STUDENT SAID SUCH AN ASSIGNMENT REALLY ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH SPARKED HER INTEREST EVEN MORE WITH REGARD TO PURSUING INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING "OUT IN THE COMMUNITY" I BELIEVE RELATES BOTH TO LIGHT'S WORK, AS WELL AS TO THE BOYER COMMISSION. HERE IS A CASE IN WHICH A PROFESSOR INTERACTED WITH HIS/HER STUDENTS BY ENCOURAGING, ADVISING, THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY EVENTS. PERHAPS RELATING THEIR STUDIES TO THE "REAL-WORLD" COMMUNITY AROUND THEM ENABLED STUDENTS TO GAIN A GREATER SENSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR STUDIES IN AND TO THE "REAL WORLD," REALIZING THE "REAL CONSEQUENCES" OF THEIR WORK. ADDITIONALLY, TAKING THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM PERHAPS MADE THE EXPERIENCE MORE PERSONAL FOR STUDENTS, AND THE CONNECTION OF STUDENTS' STUDIES TO THEIR PERSONAL LIVES IS THOUGHT TO INCREASE STUDENTS' GENUINE INTEREST IN AND EFFORT PUT TOWARDS THEIR ACADEMIC ENDEAVORS (TO SEE THAT THEIR STUDIES HAVE MEANING, MATTER, AND IMPACT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, BEYOND THEIR TEXTS, NOTES, AND TESTS, SO TO SPEAK. |
Project diary
TBA
October 27, 2003
One of my goals for this week is to come up with a working set of interview questions.
Conversations with the students I tutor have sparked some interesting ideas for for further research. I'm excited about formulating my interview questions and hearing/examining student responses.
October 29, 2003
I met with Bill this morning regarding my project. In addition to the interview questions I had already formulated, Bill and I discussed issues, which provoked a whole series of other intriguing questions, which I hope to develop and examine further (and post in the Inquiry Page).
November 3, 2003
I'm in the process of arranging (at least) one interview for next week with one of my students. Additionally, I've been reading the materials listed under the Investigate II section of my Inquiry Page (Readings, keywords, and constructs) and contemplating the ways in which said readings will configure into my project.
November 4, 2003
In addition to the other interview I'm attempting to arrange for Friday, I have scheduled an interview with a student who took Anthropology 103 as a discovery course (last year, first semester). My experience with 103 was in a lecture hall (and the course had discussion sections). Most students I tutor now take 103 as an exclusively lecture taught course. However, the student that I'm interviewing Friday told me that there were only 18 students in her class. Therefore, it should be interesting to compare such diverse experiences to see what kind of similar or dissimilar narratives they have produced. |
Findings
TBA
October 18, 2003
http://home.insightbb.com/~n.ortegon
November 10, 2003
THE LASTA REPORT, WHICH ADDRESSES THE TOPIC OF MAKING THE MOST OF LARGE CLASSES, ASSERTS, "BEYOND THE OBVIOUS ECONOMIES OF SCALE, LARGE CLASSES OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO INTERACT WITH A DIVERSE SET OF PEERS" (LASTA, 2: 2003). HOWEVER, HOW CAN SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY BE INVOKED, GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS OF A LARGE CLASSROOM AND/OR LECTURE HALL TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT? AS LASTA NOTES, "LARGE CLASSES ARE USUALLY PLACED IN FIXED SEATING AUDITORIUMS OR THEATRES" (LASTA, 2: 2003). THEREFORE, AS HAS BEEN LARGELY THE CASE WITH MY OWN, PERSONAL LECTURE HALL LEARNING EXPERIENCES, WHILE A ROOM MAY CONTAIN A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE, IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT IN SUCH LARGE SETTINGS TO EXPERIENCE THAT DIVERSITY, TO GAIN EXPOSURE TO THE VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES HOUSED WITHIN THE ROOM. I'VE OFTEN EXPERIENCED LITTLE TO NO INTERACTION WITH FELLOW STUDENTS IN STRICTLY LECTURE BASED CLASSROOMS. LASTA SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE INTERACTION THAT TAKES PLACE IN LARGE LEARNING SETTINGS ENTAILS THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES: 1) ADOPT "THINK, PAIR, SHARE" ACTIVITIES BETWEEN TWO STUDENTS SITTING NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER. ADJACENT STUDENTS CAN EXCHANGE IDEAS AND/OR WORK ON PROBLEMS EVEN IN VERY LARGE CLASS SETTINGS, 2) HAVE STUDENTS SIT IN SMALL GROUPS TO DISCUSS HOMEWORK, CLASS ACTIVITIES, QUESTIONS OF THE DAY, AND THE LIKE. SIMILAR TO TWO PERSON INTERACTIONS, CLUSTERS OF STUDENTS SITTING NEAR ONE ANOTHER CAN ENGAGE IN SIMPLE GROUP ACTIVITIES. THIS MAY BE MORE EASILY FACILITATED IN DISCUSSION SECTIONS AND IN CLASSROOMS WITH FLEXIBLE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, AND 3) USE DISCUSSION SECTIONS FOR ACTIVE LEARNING EXERCISES THAT REQUIRE TEAMWORK AND MULTIPLE STEPS. BY DEFINITION, ACTIVE LEARNING EXERCISES REQUIRE STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH THE MATERIAL, AND DISCUSSION SECTIONS ARE TYPICALLY SMALL ENOUGH TO FACILITATE LONGER INTERACTIVE EXERCISES. INTERESTINGLY, SUGGESTIONS TWO AND THREE EMPLOY DISCUSSION SECTIONS AS SPACES WHERE ACTIVITIES TO MAKE THE MOST OF LARGE CLASSES MIGHT BE ENACTED. HOWEVER, WHAT SHOULD THE COURSE OF ACTION BE IF DISCUSSION SECTIONS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW WOULD THE ABOVE SUGGESTIONS OPERATE IN A LECTURE HALL SETTING?
As a freshman, I took an Anthropology course on Aztec Civilization (Anth 276). ALTHOUGH THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT WAS A LECTURE SETTING, THE PROFESSOR EMPLOYED VARIATIONS OF THE STRATEGIES DISCUSSED ABOVE IN ORDER TO FACILITATE GREATER CLASS DISCUSSION AND PARTICIPATION, STUDENT INTERACTION. FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROFESSOR WOULD OFTEN POSE A QUESTION OR TWO, DIVIDE THE ROOM IN HALF, AND THEN ASK EACH HALF OF THE ROOM TO DISCUSS AMONGST ONE ANOTHER A PARTICULAR QUESTION. (SOMETIMES WE WERE REQUIRED TO WRITE DOWN AND HAND IN OUR GROUP AND/OR PERSONAL RESPONSES). AFTER DISCUSSING THE QUESTIONS AMONGST OURSELVES, STUDENTS WERE ASKED TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL AS WELL AS THEIR PEERS' RESPONSES WITH THE REST OF THE CLASS. I BELIEVE SUCH A STRATEGY WAS USEFUL IN COMBATING SEVERAL OF THE DRAWBACKS OF A LARGE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS DISCUSSIONS, PERSPECTIVES, AND INTERACTIONS THAT ARE MORE LIMITED. HOWEVER, AS OUR SEATS WERE FIXED IN THE AUDITORIUM, STUDENTS REGULARLY INTERACTED WITH THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE. THEREFORE, I THINK FOR SUCH A STRATEGY TO BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO EITHER ENCOURAGE OR REQUIRE STUDENTS TO "CHANGE UP" AND/OR ALTERNATE THEIR SEATING ARRANGEMENTS. HOWEVER, THERE IS ALSO THE CONSIDERATION OF HOW MUCH TIME, GIVEN THAT THE COURSE WAS A LECTURE, COULD BE DEVOTED TO SUCH DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES.
I ALSO FOUND LASTA'S PROPOSAL FOR COURSES TO PROVIDE AN INTERNET HOMEPAGE AS A SPACE FOR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS, AND REPLIES TO BE A VITAL POINT FOR DISCUSSION. LASTA ENVISIONS SUCH A SPACE TO BE UTILIZED BY FACULTY, TEACHING ASSISTANTS, AND STUDENTS. As a junior, I experienced what it was like to interact with faculty, as well as with fellow students within such a web environment. My Engl 373 course (on Feminism and Film) utilized WebBoard as a space for students to discuss course related issues. Sometimes we would have required postings, however, there was also room for open response to any particular posting that intrigued one. WHILE I FOUND IT USEFUL TO HAVE OTHERS RESPOND TO MY IDEAS AND FOR ME TO ALSO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO MY FELLOW CLASSMATES, I AM NOT SURE HOW WEB DISCUSSIONS OPERATE IN COMPARISON TO LIVE, CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS. I believe there is a difference in timing, especially. I QUESTION THE DIFFERENCE IN STUDENT REACTIONS ON THE WEB VERSUS LIVE; are web responses more removed, or do people feel they can "speak" more freely in a web environment without having to actually, that is, physically present their opinions in the presence of the person to whose argument and/or position they are responding. AND, WHILE WEB ENVIRONMENTS ALLOW FOR THE CONTINUATION OF PARTICULAR "STRANDS" OF DISCUSSION, HOW DOES SUCH A MODE OF DISCUSSION COMPARE WITH LIVE DISCUSSIONS IN WHICH THERE IS IMMEDIATE BACK AND FORTH RESPONSES AND NEW QUESTIONS ERUPTING? ARE BOTH MODES OF DISCUSSION EQUALLY EFFECTIVE, OR DOES EACH MODE OFFER ITS OWN PARTICULAR ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES (AND WHAT ARE THE PROS/CONS OF EACH)? I THINK FOR A WEB DISCUSSION BOARD TO BE EFFECTIVE, THERE MUST BE AT LEAST SOME REQUIRED POSTINGS AND PARTICULARLY POSTINGS THAT ARE RESPONSES TO OTHER STUDENTS' COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS. OTHERWISE, I FEAR THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT TAKE THE TIME NECESSARY TO DEVELOP A MEANINGFUL AND/OR THOUGHTFUL REPLY. ADDITIONALLY, IF (AT LEAST SOME) POSTINGS ARE TREATED AS ASSIGNMENTS, THEN STUDENTS ARE BEING MOTIVATED AND REWARDED FOR CONSTRUCTIVELY INTERACTING WITH THEIR FELLOW CLASSMATES, WHICH WOULD PERHAPS ENCOURAGES AND/OR PROMOTES GREATER INTERACTION IN FUTURE ENCOUNTERS. While my personal contention is that there are particular aspects of a smaller learning environment that I believe can never be equally and/or in the exact same way captured in a large classroom and/or lecture hall learning environment, I agree that (if it is inevitable that classroom populations will increase) an emphasis must be placed on how to make large classroom and lecture hall environments more effective with regard to approaches to learning as well as teaching (and particularly with regard to being more conducive to open dialogues between faculty and students as well as students and their peers).
December 2, 2003
Before Jaslyn (a freshmen-undergraduate interviewee) arrived, I made a brief outline of the initial questions I would pose during our interview.
Following my research plan, as delineated within the “Investigate” section, I decided to begin by asking Jaslyn for her estimation, in quantitative terms, of the University of Illinois student to faculty ratio; her response was 1:10. I then proceeded by asking her to provide me with, again, a quantitative estimate of the ratio but, before coming to her second estimate, to think of her “experience” of the ratio in terms of her interactions with academic staff and how she believed the ratio reflected and related to her experience with different class sizes, compositions, and so forth. 1:30-40 was her second estimate.
In talking with Jaslyn about the differences between learning in lecture halls and larger classrooms in comparison to smaller classrooms, she remarked on the greater communication difficulties she experienced in larger settings. Jaslyn noted that COMMUNICATING WITH STAFF AS WELL AS FELLOW STUDENTS WAS BETTER FACILITATED IN SMALLER ENVIRONMENTS, WITH FEWER PEOPLE; IT IS EASIER TO PARTICIPATE IN SMALLER SETTINGS, YET MORE DIFFICULT TO SPEAK AND ASK QUESTIONS IN LARGER SETTINGS, JASLYN CONTENDED.
INITIALLY, I ASSUMED JASLYN'S DISCOMFORT WITH SPEAKING IN LARGER CLASSES WAS DUE TO HER BEING INTIMIDATED BY A LARGE STUDENT POPULATION. HOWEVER, WHEN ASKED WHY SHE WAS LESS COMFORTABLE QUESTIONING AND DISCUSSING IN LARGER SETTINGS, SHE REPLIED THAT SHE FELT THAT TO ASK QUESTIONS IS TO TAKE AWAY FROM EVERYONE ELSE'S TIME AND THAT WITH 200 STUDENTS, NOT ALL STUDENTS COULD HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. I then asked her whether or not she thought that maybe other students had similar questions to her own and that her asking a question could actually result in benefiting, rather than disadvantaging, her fellow classmates. SHE AGREED THAT IF THE QUESTION WAS A MORE GENERAL KIND OF INQUIRY, OTHER STUDENTS MIGHT BENEFIT FROM HER ASKING IT. HOWEVER, SHE DID INDICATE THAT MOST OF HER QUESTIONS WERE MORE PERSONAL AND SPECIFIC AND LESS ON GENERAL MATERIAL, AND THEREFORE SHE BELIEVED ASKING SUCH QUESTIONS WOULD INFRINGE ON HER FELLOW STUDENTS' TIME. I asked her, then where and when do you go to ask and have your questions answered? She responded that sometimes she considers attending office hours but then usually does not, as she would rather ask a question, as soon as she has one, and that she'll usually "let a question go" before going to office hours. INTERESTINGLY, JASLYN REPORTED THAT SHE AS WELL FELT THAT STUDENTS ATTENDING OFFICE HOURS WOULD BE BOTHERSOME TO SOME PROFESSORS, AS IT WOULD BE IMPOSING ON THEIR TIME. IRONICALLY, A COUNTER-NARRATIVE I'VE ENCOUNTERED FROM PROFESSORS IS THEIR DESPAIR AT THE FACT THAT STUDENTS HARDLY EVER COME TO OFFICE HOURS. I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN SUCH OPPOSITIONAL PERSPECTIVES.
Following Bill's recommendation of attaining student narratives of how they came to their major, I asked Jaslyn how she came to study Speech Communication and Spanish. Jaslyn was originally Pre-Journalism. When asked if any teachers, friends, and so forth influenced her decision to enter Pre-Journalism, SHE ACCREDITED HER EXPERIENCES IN HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER, TV BROADCASTING AND ETCETERA, AS THE PRIMARY DRIVING FORCES BEHIND HER DECISION. I THOUGHT HER REFERENCE TO THE IMPACT HER HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE HAD ON HER SELECTING A UNIVERSITY MAJOR WAS PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT WITH REGARD TO LIGHT'S RESEARCH, AS HE EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF, ESPECIALLY COLLEGE, ACADEMIC ADVISING IN HELPING STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THEIR LEARNING AND FUTURE CAREER INTERESTS. SECONDARY SCHOOL ADVISING SHOULD PERHAPS BE FURTHER LOOKED INTO AND THE LEVEL OF INFLUENCE OF HIGH SCHOOL ADVISORS WITH REGARD TO STUDENT PROFESSIONS AND ACADEMIC PATHS INVESTIGATED IN GREATER DEPTH, MAKING A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN SECONDARY AND POST-SECONDARY EXPERIENCES AND DECISIONS. Jaslyn's parents as well influenced her decision to no longer pursue a degree in Pre-Journalism, as they encouraged her to "rethink her major," arguing that a broader major might be more marketable and provide greater job opportunities in the future. Upon entering college, Jaslyn decided that Pre-journalism "wasn't her thing." Consequently, she elected to enter Speech Communication, as it was within the same curriculum. As for Spanish, she noted that because she liked the language, she was eager to pursue it further.
The interview then proceeded with a discussion of the various learning environments, in terms of class size, composition, and etcetera, which Jaslyn has experienced at the University, thus far. Because Jaslyn had previously articulated her preference for learning and discussing in smaller class settings, I imagined that she would prefer her Speech Communication discussion section to her Speech Communication lecture. However, Jaslyn introduced an additional variable, which I had not yet considered, as a barrier to student learning-room condition. She relayed that the room in which her Speech Communication section is held possesses a terrible odor and that the first 5-10 minutes of every class are spent trying to rid the room of the odor and discussing the horrible smell of the room. JASLYN STATED THAT SUCH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ODOR AND TIME SPENT RIDDING THE ROOM OF IT, TAKE AWAY FROM CLASS TIME THAT COULD BE USED TO COVER COURSE MATERIAL. SHE MENTIONED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO LEARN IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHEN THE DESKS ARE BROKEN AND THE WINDOW HAS TO BE HELD OPEN BY A CHAIR; WHEN THE ROOM IS FILTHY IT DETRACTS FROM THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO PAY ATTENTION. THE NEW DIMENSION OF ROOM CONDITION THAT JASLYN INTRODUCED TO MY STUDY IS A VITAL CONSIDERATION. WHILE I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT ROOMS BEFORE IN RELATION TO LEARNING, I HAD DONE SO MAINLY WITH THE THOUGHT OF HOW SPATIAL PROXIMITY BETWEEN STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS MIGHT AFFECT STUDENT AND FACULTY INTERACTIONS. YET, AS JASLYN NARRATIVE EMPHASIZES, A STUDENT'S LEARNING EXPERIENCE IS DEPENDENT ALSO ON THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OF THE ROOM IN WHICH THE LEARNING TAKES PLACE.
IN CONTRAST TO HER DISCUSSION SECTION SETTING, JASLYN DESCRIBED HER LECTURE HALL EXPERIENCE TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE, IN THE SENSE THAT THE ROOMS WERE "DECENT PLACES," BUT NOT IN THE SENSE OF EASE OF COMMUNICATION WITH ACADEMIC STAFF AND FELLOW STUDENTS. Interestingly, to combat her discomfort with the size of the room and the large student population, Jaslyn stated that IN MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF HER LECTURE COURSES, SHE SITS IN THE FRONT AND CENTER OF THE ROOM SO THAT "THE SIZE OF THE ROOM DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT ME." I FOUND JASLYN'S STATEMENT INTRIGUING, AS JASLYN IS ATTEMPTING TO, INDEPENDENTLY, TRANSFORM A LARGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INTO A SMALLER ENVIRONMENT, IN ORDER TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE HER LEARNING SETTING PREFERENCES. AS SHE STATES, "IT HAS TO DO A LOT WITH SITTING IN FRONT. IT FEELS LIKE A SMALL CLASSROOM, AND YOU KIND OF FORGET ABOUT THE 150 PEOPLE SITTING BEHIND YOU. The experience is different if sitting elsewhere. One day, I was 10 minutes late and had to sit in the back corner of the room. I couldn't really see, and there were sounds and noises. I missed half of the notes and examples. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WORKING AGAINST YOU THAT ARE NOT THERE IF YOU SIT IN THE FRONT. IN THE BACK, IT'S MORE TEMPTING TO SLEEP, BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT OF THE TEACHER'S VIEW. IT'S MORE DISTRACTING, AND EVERYTHING'S COMPETING FOR YOUR ATTENTION."
For the next part of the interview, I returned to a statement that Jaslyn had made prior to our officially meeting for the project: She stated that my classroom experience and engagement with the professor must have been different from her own, remarking on how I talk about the teacher as being "cool" and "friendly;” she said she never really gets to experience the more personal side of her professor, because "the teacher doesn't come out of her structure in our class." (See create section). As Nancy suggested, I asked Jaslyn to further explain what she meant by "the professor not coming out of her structure." Jaslyn responded by stating that the class is conducted within a mainly strict lecture format: "She lectures, we stay quiet, and [then] we leave." She also mentioned that she did not feel comfortable interacting with her professor; when asked why, she replied, "The room maybe... It's very narrow and really high. Everybody seems just to be really uptight. The professor looks open to questions but yet no one does it [asks questions]." THOUGH JASLYN STATES THAT THE PROFESSOR "LOOKS OPEN TO QUESTIONS," IT IS INTERESTING THAT SHE SHOULD STATE SHE FINDS IT UNCOMFORTABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE PROFESSOR. I FOUND IT MORE INTRIGUING THAT SHE SHOULD RESPOND AS TO WHY SHE MIGHT BE UNCOMFORTABLE TO SPEAK WITH HER PROFESSOR, BY REFERRING TO THE ROOM AS NARROW AND REALLY HIGH, THE SENSE OF THE CLASSROOM AND STUDENTS AS BEING UPTIGHT. I WONDER IF THE STRUCTURE OF THE ROOM, THEN, IS IN SOMEWAY BEING CONFLATED WITH THE WAY IN WHICH JASLYN PERCEIVES HER PROFESSOR.
Jaslyn then contrasted the interaction she experiences with her professor during lecture, with interaction she experiences with her TA during the discussion section of the course. She stated that she felt more comfortable interacting with her TA as opposed to her professor, although she did mention that sometimes she experience communication problems with her TA, due to a "language barrier." NEVERTHELESS, SHE SAID THAT SHE FOUND HERSELF ASKING QUESTIONS MORE OFTEN IN DISCUSSION SECTION THAN IN LECTURE, IN PART BECAUSE SHE CONSIDERS DISCUSSION SECTION AS "THE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS VERSUS WASTING LECTURE TIME." If she has questions during lecture, she saves them for discussion. I asked her, "What if there were no discussion sections, would you then be more inclined to ask questions during lecture?" She stated that she would still remain quiet in lecture but that she would then be in big trouble, because she would not want to go to office hours. Jaslyn would rather ask her peers questions instead of attending office hours. When she thinks about going to office hours, she often asks herself, "Do I really need to go?" HOWEVER, SHE DID INDICATE THAT SHE WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE ATTENDING HER TA, VERSUS HER PROFESSOR'S OFFICE HOURS, AS SHE ESTABLISHES CLOSER RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER TAS THAN PROFESSORS: "My TA knows I'm in the class and the way I think. The TA picks up early on how you perceive things." I asked, "Why wouldn't your professor pick up on things like that?" JASLYN RESPONDED THAT SHE DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS THE PROFESSOR'S PRIORITY TO HAVE STUDENTS IN THEIR OFFICE IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN REALLY MINUTE THINGS. AGAIN, SHE FELT SHE WOULD BE IMPOSING ON HER PROFESSOR'S TIME, WHEN "THEY PROBABLY HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO." I THEN SHARED WITH JASLYN THAT I HAD HEARD PROFESSORS REMARK ON HOW THEY WISH MORE STUDENTS WOULD ATTEND OFFICE HOURS AND THAT THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF EVENING HOLDING OFFICE HOURS IS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND ASK QUESTIONS. I ALSO INFORMED HER THAT A FEW PROFESSORS I SPOKE WITH, DECIDED TO CHANGE THEIR OFFICE HOURS TO APPOINTMENT-ONLY, DUE TO LOW OR NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE. Jaslyn, however, maintained her position on imposition.
In more of a side comment, Jaslyn noted that PERHAPS SHE FEELS SHE CAN BUILD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER TAS BECAUSE THEY ARE GENERALLY CLOSER IN AGE AND ARE, LIKE HER, STUDENTS.
Our conversation then moved in the direction of discussing not only the kinds of student-faculty interaction that occur across diverse learning environments but also how interactions between students differ between settings. Jaslyn commented that SHE LIKED WHEN STUDENTS WORKED TOGETHER ON GROUP ACTIVITIES DURING DISCUSSION SECTION. She said that during group work, she "communicated pretty well with the students in class, talking with them and asking questions." I ASKED HER IF SUCH OPEN DIALOGUE EVER OCCURRED IN LECTURE. SHE RESPONDED, "NEVER." I THEN ASKED HER WHETHER OR NOT SHE VALUED OPEN DIALOGUE AND WHAT ITS IMPORTANCE (OR LACK OF IMPORTANCE) MIGHT BE: "IT OPENS YOU UP TO DIFFERENT THOUGHTS. IN LECTURE YOU HEAR ONE PERSON'S THOUGHTS, THE PROFESSOR'S, BUT STUDENTS CAN PROVIDE OTHER, DIFFERENT ASPECTS; IT MAKES YOU THINK." (NOTE: RELATE TO HIGHER EDUCATION LITERATURE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY WITHIN CLASSROOMS AND STUDENT DISCUSSION IN EXPOSING STUDENTS TO MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES). SHE ALSO STATED THAT IN TALKING WITH HER PEERS, SHE BECOMES MORE AWARE OF HER OWN POSITION ON A SUBJECT, PEER DISCUSSIONS AID IN HELPING MAKE HER OWN OPINION ON AND UNDERSTANDING OF AN ISSUE MORE KNOWN TO HERSELF.
JASLYN AND I THEN PROCEEDED TO DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT SHE BELIEVED THERE WAS A GREATER NEED FOR DISCUSSION SECTIONS IN SOME COURSES VERSUS OTHERS AND WHY OR WHY NOT. Jaslyn argued that some courses need discussion sections more than others because "some courses are not as clean cut as others." She offered her Speech Communications course as an example of a class that was "clean cut." When asked how to define "clean cut" Jaslyn defined the term by providing the definition of what she considered a "non-clean cut" course: "CLASSES THAT REQUIRE YOU TO THINK A LITTLE MORE IN TERMS OF PUTTING IN YOUR OWN OPINION." FROM SPEAKING WITH JASLYN, I SENSED SHE CONSIDERED COURSES THAT DID NOT EXPLORE DIVERSE OPINIONS AND PERSPECTIVES AND DID NOT REQUIRE A STUDENT TO PUT FORTH HIS OR HER INDIVIDUAL UNDERSTANDING OF AND REACTION TO AN ISSUE TO BE LESS LIKELY TO NEED DISCUSSION SECTIONS. JASLYN STATED THAT DISCUSSION SECTIONS ARE HELPFUL IN THAT THEY ALLOW HER TO HEAR HER FELLOW STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES ON AN ISSUE AND THAT DISCUSSING PAPER TOPICS WITH HER CLASSMATES IS PARTICULARLY USEFUL, AS IT OPENS HER UP TO NEW IDEAS AND INSIGHTS THAT SHE MIGHT NO HAVE, ON HER OWN, THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE, IDEAS WHICH SHE MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE AND EXPAND UPON IN A WRITING EXERCISE AND/OR PAPER.
As the interview was coming to a close, I asked Jaslyn her opinion on some of the suggestions LASTA put forth concerning ways in which to mitigate the drawbacks of large classes, such as decreased student discussion and interaction. SPECIFICALLY, I ASKED HER OPINION ABOUT THE THREE LASTA SUGGESTIONS NOTED EARLIER WITHIN THE "DISCUSSION" PORTION OF MY PROJECT: 1) Adopt "think, pair, share" activities between two students sitting next to one another. Adjacent students can exchange ideas and/or work on problems even in very large class settings, 2) Have students sit in small groups to discuss homework, class activities, questions of the day, and the like. Similar to two person interactions, clusters of students sitting near one another can engage in simple group activities. This may be more easily facilitated in discussion sections and in classrooms with flexible seating arrangements, and 3) Use discussion sections for active learning exercises that require teamwork and multiple steps. Jaslyn remarked that WHILE SUCH SUGGESTIONS SEEMED BENEFICIAL AND LIKELY TO HELP INCREASE STUDENT INTERACTION AND DIALOGUE, SHE WAS NOT SURE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT SUCH MEASURES COULD BE CARRIED OUT WITHIN LARGE CLASSROOM AND/OR LECTURE SETTINGS, DUE TO LOGISTICAL CONSTRAINTS (SUCH AS SEATING ARRANGEMENTS). SHE WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME SUCH PAIR AND/OR GROUP ACTIVITIES, IF INCORPORATED INTO LECTURE, WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM LECTURE TIME. IF SUCH MEASURES WERE UNDERTAKEN WITHIN A LECTURE HALL ENVIRONMENT, SHE WORRIED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO KEEP STUDENTS FOCUS WHEN ORGANIZING THEM INTO GROUPS (OR EVEN IF SPEAKING ONLY IN PAIRS), AS THE SHEER NUMBER OF STUDENTS WOULD BRING DISORDER TO ANY ACTIVITY INVOLVING "TALKING WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR(S)." ADDITIONALLY, IN A LECTURE HALL SETTING, SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE CONVERSATION WOULD STRAY FROM COURSE MATERIAL TOPICS, OR, THAT EVEN IF SUCH PARTNER OR GROUP DISCUSSIONS REMAINED FOCUSED ON COURSE RELATED MATERIALS, THE PEER CONVERSATIONS THAT DEVELOPED MIGHT NOT BE RETURNED TO OR ADDRESSED DURING LECTURE, WOULD NOT BE EXPANDED UPON, AND THEREFORE WOULD SEEM MORE TIME CONSUMING THAN VALUABLE; because Jaslyn earlier made the comment that being exposed to her peer perspectives was beneficial, I was surprised by her last remark, as she would still be gaining access to her fellow students' opinions. HOWEVER, HER COMMENT BRINGS TO THE FOREFRONT THE IMPORTANCE AND NECESSITY FOR (ALL) STUDENT ACTIVITIES TO BE INCORPORATED INTO AND/OR ADDRESSED WITHIN THE LARGER FRAMEWORK AND PURPOSE OF THE CLASS, OTHERWISE, AS ANOTHER STUDENT INTERVIEWEE CONTENDED, STUDENTS REGARD SUCH PEER CONVERSATIONS (OR WRITING, OR WEB-DISCUSSION-BASED ASSIGNMENTS AS LESS VALUABLE, BORDERING ON POINTLESS "BUSY-WORK."
As Jaslyn was preparing to leave for her class, I quickly asked her whether or not she includes TAs under the term "faculty" or considers them with regard to the term. Jaslyn responded that she did in fact consider TAs to be faculty in the sense that both groups function "to teach me something." She further contended that she does not necessarily perceive lecture TAs as differing from discussion TAs, stating, "It all depends on how active a TA is in either lecture or discussion. It all depends on the level of activity [involvement]." JASLYN'S RESPONSE IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH OTHER STUDENT RESPONSES. TAS ARE CONSIDERED FACULTY IN TERMS OF THEIR LEVEL OF ACTIVITY, DEDICATION TO THE STUDENTS, AND AS TEACHERS. HOWEVER, TAS ARE PERCEIVED AS DIFFERENT FROM PROFESSORS GENERALLY IN TERMS OF THEIR AGE AND THE FACT THAT THEY THEMSELVES ARE STUDENTS. SOME STUDENTS FEEL THAT THEY CAN BUILD CLOSER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR TAS BECAUSE THE TAS IDENTIFY MORE READILY WITH THE PLIGHT OF THE STUDENT. ALSO, TAS GENERALLY KNOW ONE, THAT THE STUDENT TALKING TO THEM IS IN THERE CLASS AND TWO, THE STUDENT'S NAME. SEVERAL STUDENTS DISCUSSED HOW THEY WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE ATTENDING PROFESSOR OFFICE HOURS, AS THE PROFESSOR (ESPECIALLY IN A LECTURE SETTING) MOST LIKELY DOES NOT KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN THE CLASS AND CERTAINLY NOT THEIR NAME.
December 6, 2003
Today, I interviewed Andrew, a senior and double major in English and Rhetoric. The interview predominantly centered on learning of the various types of technology Andrew was introduced to and utilized, as a University of Illinois undergraduate, INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN RELATION TO COURSE OBJECTIVES AND AS A VARIANT FORM OF BOTH STUDENT TO PROFESSOR AS WELL AS STUDENT TO FELLOW STUDENT INTERACTION. I was also interested in learning of Andrew's opinions on HOW CERTAIN FORMS OF TECHNOLOGY WERE EMPLOYED AND/OR UTILIZED BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, THE WAY IN WHICH ASSIGNMENTS AND EXERCISES THAT MADE USE OF TECHNOLOGY WERE (OR WERE NOT) INCORPORATED AND/OR INTEGRATED INTO THE MAIN CURRICULA.
I began the interview by asking Andrew what forms and/or kinds of technology he had gained experience with, as an undergraduate. He replied, "The first program I encountered was called CyberProf, a homework program for the Chemistry Department. We [students] had to use the program to fill in answers to mathematical questions, chemistry questions." He went on to relay some of his frustrations with the program, stating that THE "HELP LINK" WAS OF VIRTUALLY NO HELP, AND THAT NEARLY EVERY TIME HE WAS "STUCK ON A PROBLEM" AND WOULD CLICK THE LINK FOR HELP IN SOLVING IT, A "NO HELP AVAILABLE" MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR, IN WHICH CASE HE WOULD THEN HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO "TRACK DOWN A TA OR PROFESSOR FOR HELP."
The interview then proceeded with Andrew commenting on what he believed was the purpose of online homework assignments and how such assignments did and did not relate to the overall course. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT THE ONLINE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS SEEMED TO BE MORE ISOLATED, DISENGAGED, AND INDEPENDENT FROM THE REST OF THE COURSE AND WERE ONLY ADDRESSED WHEN PEOPLE HAD (TECHNICAL) DIFFICULTIES AND/OR PROBLEMS. He also felt the online assignments to be "out of sync" with the lecture portion of the course, as the online homework problems utilized questions from the book, but in lecture, the professor was always ahead of the book assignments. Attempting to further understand how the online program connected (or did not connect) to the rest of the course instruction and curricula, I asked Andrew whether or not he was tested (i.e. via exams) on the kinds of questions he encountered in completing his online homework. He replied, "Yes and no... the easier homework questions, yes. The [homework] questions that were worth more points, the harder questions that were really frustrating and that I would sometimes spend one to two hours on trying to solve one problem... those would never appear on an exam. It was just frustrating."
Later in the interview I asked, "HOW DID TECHNOLOGY RELATE TO AND/OR FUNCTION WITH REGARD TO STUDENT INTERACTION WITH PROFESSORS? THAT IS, DID TECHNOLOGY OPERATE AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF (STUDENT TO FACULTY AND STUDENT TO STUDENT) INTERACTION, AND, IF SO, HOW? ANDREW IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED, "OR COULD I DESCRIBE THE LACK THEREOF? IN SOME OF MY CLASSES, TECHNOLOGY SEEMED TO SERVE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL-LIFE INSTRUCTION. For example, in the Chem courses (like Chem 101 and 102 (and also 105 and 106)... The Chem department can't afford to do large scale experiments so every reaction is a small scale reaction. Instead of showing the class a large scale reaction, students had to go and do... there was a room in the Chem Annex, and students had to go there to watch experiments on a computer and then answer questions about them. The questions weren't really graded... You just had to complete them, but you had an unlimited number of guesses [to get the questions right]. So my friend and I figured out that you could just hit the "Next" or "Forward" button until you got to the question portion and then just guess at the questions until you answered them correctly... and so we would finish like three or four assignments in about fifteen minutes." I then asked if Andrew thought the technology could have been used more effectively, how it might have been used differently? He replied, "First of all, the video was of a grainy, streamy quality, and you couldn't really see what was going on [in the experiments]. So maybe the technology itself could have been improved, but I would rather have gone to a thirty minute lecture every week to see and more actively participate in experiments. To see experiments conducted in "real-life" is one of the most exciting things about Chemistry, to watch the reactions take place in front of you. Watching reactions take place on a video is boring when compared to a "real-life" alternative. It's like playing Hockey versus watching it on TV; it's more fun to play."
The interview then progressed to a discussion of an Organic Chemistry Tutorial, a computer based application that Andrew did find beneficial and/or useful. He explained that the course required students to memorize a number of reactions, and that the (128) tutorials each showed a different reaction and taught students how to memorize it: "Using the computer to examine and memorize reactions was better than using the book, because the diagrams in the book were static, whereas you could see the motion of the reactions on the computer, and that helped me to better understand and memorize them. It was good because we couldn’t cover all or go over all of the reactions in class. IT WAS USEFUL BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO KNOW THE INFORMATION FOR OUR EXAMS, NOT LIKE THE VIDEO REACTIONS WE WATCHED IN MY OTHER CLASS (THE "NEXT" AND "GUESS AND CHECK" SCENARIO) THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW OR USE AGAIN FOR ANYTHING [RELATED TO THE CLASS]. That was a big waste of time. IT'S [TECHNOLOGY AND/OR ASSIGNMENTS THAT UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY] MORE USEFUL WHEN IT RELATES TO WHAT YOU'RE TESTED ON. Otherwise, what's the point of learning it? I mean, there's already too much information to learn and memorize as is, information that students will actually be tested on..."
December 8, 2003
My Interview with Andrew Continued:
The topic of conversation then moved to Andrew describing his experiences with technology, as it was introduced and utilized in his English courses: "In my English 100 class, we had to (once a week) post responses (about 100 words in length) to one of the readings for the week. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN GOOD IF WE GOT TO HAVE PEOPLE RESPOND TO OTHER PEOPLE'S RESPONSES, BUT IN REALITY, EVERYONE JUST WROTE UP THEIR OWN RESPONSE AND SO YOU HAD 30-40 INDEPENDENT THREADS. THE PROFESSOR NEVER ONCE DISCUSSED THE ONLINE POSTINGS IN CLASS, AND HE NEVER POSTED ANYTHING FOR CLASS ONLINE OR DISCUSSED ANYTHING ONLINE, HIMSELF. THE ONLINE POSTINGS WERE COMPLETELY ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF THE CLASS AND CLASS DISCUSSIONS. The deadline was Friday by 9:00 p.m. and so everyone post his or her responses at 8:50 p.m. on Friday. Also, I did about half of the responses and still got an "A" in the class. So, basically, it didn't really count for anything. It was a big waste of time, worthless." I then asked, "In what ways could the technology (and assignments) have been put to better use?" Andrew stated that he thought the use of technology in the classroom was a great idea, especially as a means of continuing in-class discussions outside of the classroom, "...because a lot of times you do run out of time in class when you're talking about something." However, he felt that class discussions were not continued online and that there was no dialogue between students or between students and the professor. I was curious to know his suggestions for increasing student-student and student-professor online dialogues, for making discussions and conversations develop outside of the classroom walls. His first suggestion dealt with the specificity, or rather lack thereof, of the topic to which students were to respond. That is, he argued that in his English 100 class, the professor made the topics of conversation to broad for any kind of focused discussion to develop. He said that rather than having students have to respond to any part of any of the readings for the weeks, the professor should limit the response topics, for example by posting a particular passage or comment for students to respond to: "That way, instead of having 30-40 separate threads that do not really relate or speak to one another, there would be a more focused and meaningful discussion." To create conversations among students, I asked Andrew if he believed students should be REQUIRED to respond to their fellow students' postings, to which he responded, "Yes... Well... If something isn't required most students won't do it, unless it's really interesting." When asked if online activities should be addressed in-class or otherwise incorporated into the larger framework of the class, he replied, "Yes, and not only that but the professor should either write his or her reactions to student responses and post them to the discussion board, or he or she should talk about his or her reactions to student posts in class. Otherwise, it's a big waste of time. If you're going to have people thinking and writing critically but then have no one even talk about it again after that... it's almost as if the work is thrown away... a waste of effort and thought. I want to know that the professors and other students are reading and responding to work that I've put thought into and spent time on completing. Why do something if it is never going to be addressed or discussed?"
It is important to note that Andrew did not believe that such web-discussions or online spaces would prosper in a large lecture course, due to the large number of students, especially if professors were to provide sufficient, personal feedback to student responses and postings. In this respect, Andrew's assertions relate quite poignantly to the question/comment I posed in my November 11th diary entry: "While I appreciate the notion of incorporating diverse forms of learning assessment, I'm interested to know the kind of feedback students should expect and/or would be able to receive from such assignments. That is, what sorts of difficulties might instructors encounter with regard to providing students with substantial feedback, given the large student population to which instructors must respond to in a large classroom and/or lecture hall setting." INDEED, THE VERY FACT THAT FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES ARE EMPHASIZED IS IN ITSELF IMPORTANT. AS BOTH ANDREW AS WELL AS JASLYN'S NARRATIVE CONVEY, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS DO NOT CONSIDER THEIR WORK TO BE "BUSY-WORK." AS ANDREW'S STORY SUGGESTS, IN ORDER FOR STUDENTS TO MORE SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGE WEB-ACTIVITIES, THE ONLINE WORK MUST, LIKE OTHER COURSE WORK, BE VALUED AND RESPONDED TO, RECEIVE FEEDBACK. THE INTERVIEWS ALSO CALL TO MY ATTENTION THE NEED FOR TECHNOLOGY, AND THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT INVOLVE THE USE OF THAT TECHNOLOGY, TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LARGER STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ITS STUDIES, RATHER THAN BE TREATED AS SEPARATE ENTITIES. I BELIEVE A SECOND POINT TO BE MADE, WHICH SURFACES IN ANDREW'S ARGUMENT, IS THAT TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT BE USED TO REPLACE STUDENT TO PROFESSOR OR STUDENT TO STUDENT FORMS OF PERSONAL, THAT IS, LIVE INTERACTIONS BUT RATHER THAT SUCH TECHNOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVES SHOULD FURTHER AND RELATE TO THE INTERACTION THAT HAS ALREADY BEGUN TAKING PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM. WITH THE STUDENTS' EMPHASIS ON MOTIVATION, EITHER WITH RESPECT TO GRADES, TESTS, OR STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK, I CANNOT HELP BUT BE REMINDED OF EOTU CLASS DISCUSSIONS THAT CENTER ON THE NOTION OF REWARD SYSTEMS. IF ONLINE ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT PRESENTED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COURSE AND AS VALUABLE, THEN STUDENTS MAY INDEED TREAT THEM AS INCIDENTAL TO THE OVERALL COURSE, ITS OBJECTIVES, AND PURPOSE. FURTHERMORE, I AM REMINDED OF THE BOYER COMMISSION AND ITS (AS WELL AS EOTU'S) ENCOURAGEMENT TO INFUSE RESEARCH INTO THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM AND LIGHT'S CONTENTION THAT STUDENTS’ WORK BECOMES MORE MEANINGFUL TO THEM IF IT RELATES TO THEIR PERSONAL LIVES. WHILE A STUDENT MAY BE ENROLLED IN A COURSE THAT NOT RELATE FUNDAMENTALLY TO HIS OR HER PERSONAL LIVES, I BELIEVE THAT THE STUDENT VOICED NECESSITY FOR TECHNOLOGY AND ITS USE TO RELATE TO THE LARGER STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE OF THE CLASS AND THE STUDENTS' EMPHASIS ON MORE PERSONALIZED RESPONSES AND FEEDBACK TO THEIR ONLINE WORK, RELATES TO BOTH THE BOYER COMMISSION AND LIGHT'S ASSERTION THAT STUDENT WORK BECOMES MORE MEANINGFUL TO STUDENTS WHEN IT RELATES TO LARGER ISSUES, DISCUSSIONS, OR REALITIES, WHEN ITS WEIGHT IS CARRIED BEYOND THE ASSIGNMENT. THOUGH STUDENTS CONDUCTING "REAL-WORLD" RESEARCH AND CONNECTING IT TO THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY LIVE IS NOT PRECISELY THE SAME AS CONNECTING SMALLER SCALE ASSIGNMENTS TO THE LARGER STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK OF A CLASS, THE NEED FOR MAKING A CONNECTION TO SOMETHING GREATER, LARGER, AND MORE SIGNIFICANT EXISTS IN BOTH INITIATIVES. CONNECTION OF THE PART TO THE WHOLE, IF YOU WILL, APPEARS TO BE IMPORTANT WITH REGARD TO MAKING STUDENTS' PERCEIVE OF THEIR WORK AS MEANINGFUL AND VALUABLE AND NOT "BUSY-WORK."
December 9, 2003
Note: Anthropology 188 used to be taught with two hours of lecture per week and one hour of discussion section. Now, the course is taught with three hours of lecture per week and no discussion section.
I began today's interview with Bill, a professor of Anthropology for the University of Illinois, by introducing, though more generally, the following questions: 1) In what ways did his experience of teaching Anthropology 188 (Ethnicity and Cultural Conflict in a Globalizing World) with discussion sections differ from his teaching experience of the course post discussion section losses; 2) Did he make attempts to incorporate discussion activities into the lecture setting and if so, how and what kinds of activities did he employ, and what was the effectiveness of employing such activities within a lecture setting--what was the student response; 3) If it is inevitable (i.e. due to the budget crisis) that class sizes increase and courses endure the loss of discussion sections, what are some suggestions he might have for improving how courses are taught in a large classroom or lecture hall environment, especially with respect to encouraging student/faculty as well as student/student interaction; 4) His opinion regarding some of the LASTA suggestions for ways to make larger classes more effective teaching and learning environments; and 5) His response to the utilization of new forms of technology in the classroom (particularly as a variant form of student/faculty and student/student interaction), how he has made use of technology in his courses and the results of that use, and the response he has received from his students to such new measures of teaching/learning/assessment.
BILL BEGAN BY RELAYING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES HE ENCOUNTERS WHEN TRYING TO INITIATE DISCUSSION(S) WITH HIS ANTHROPOLOGY 188 CLASS AS A WHOLE, WHICH CONSISTS OF ROUGHLY EIGHTY-FIVE STUDENTS. HE STATED THAT THE SAME FEW STUDENTS SPEAK AND REINFORCE ONE ANOTHER'S POSITIONS. THEREFORE, "THE DIVERSITY OF POSITIONS IN THE CLASS DOES NOT GET EXPRESSED, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM." Bill also has his students form learning groups of about five to six people. When asked about the success of such learning groups, particularly in terms of promoting (course related) dialogue amongst the students, Bill responded by stating that the learning groups in a class of eighty-five students were not as effective as those in a class of thirty to forty students. HE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM OF STUDENT ABSENTEES IN RELATION TO POOR LEARNING GROUP DISCUSSIONS. BILL NOTED THAT GROUP DISCUSSION WAS POOR, ESPECIALLY IN LEARNING GROUPS THAT HAD CONSISTENT GROUP MEMBER ABSENTEES. HE ATTRIBUTES THIS TO THE FACT THAT "THEY [THE STUDENTS] NEVER REALLY FUNCTION AS A GROUP AND SO THE DISCUSSION IS NOT LIVELY. THEY DON'T KNOW OR TRUST EACH OTHER THAT WELL."
Bill then commented on the use of quizzes and short writes, stating that they are not (or at least should not be) a substitute for discussion. Rather, he interprets such activities in terms of disciplinary functions, employed to "keep people attending." He further stated that the direction of General Education courses has moved into regurgitation as opposed to thinking, and that's what students expect. Thinking with regard to Bill's discussion of student absentees and the use of quizzes and short writes as a means of (attempting to) increase student attendance, I asked Bill what sort of attendance policy, if any, he utilized in his class(es).
Bill proceeded to explain that 20% of a student’s grade was based on his or her class participation. I was surprised that students would then have consistent absences in a course that placed such a high value on participation, and I therefore asked Bill his thoughts on why students might not be attending class. He replied that, with regard to the junior and senior students in the course, they have perhaps come to “patent 100 level courses as classes that they can just go in and take the exam and be fine.” However, because Anthropology 188 exams are essay exams that require students to think conceptually, many of the students are not doing “fine.”
THE INTERVIEW THEN PROGRESSED INTO A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT IS MORE ESSENTIAL FOR SOME COURSES TO HAVE DISCUSSION SECTIONS MORE THAN OTHERS. ALTHOUGH BILL DID CONTEND THAT MANY (IF NOT ALL) COURSES COULD BENEFIT FROM DISCUSSION SECTIONS, HE DID FEEL THAT CLASSES THAT ADDRESSED CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND INVOLVED PEOPLE’S BELIEFS, FEELINGS, AND REQUIRED STUDENTS TO THINK AND ENGAGE OTHERS WITH DIFFERENT POSITIONS WERE CLASSES IN EVEN GREATER NEED OF EITHER MAINTAINING OR ACQUIRING DISCUSSION SECTIONS.
Bill then revisited the topic of the success (or lack of success) of the class student learning groups. He stated that of the sixteen groups, only about half of them functioned well. Again, he believed that the groups “never really achieved an identity as a group.” I found it interesting to learn that the freshmen often faired better in the class (and within the groups?). Bill suggested that perhaps the freshmen are less cynical about the education process and have not yet been socialized to the idea that 100 level or Gen Ed courses require little work. Additionally, some of the freshmen were International Studies majors and therefore perhaps already had a special interest in the course content. Bill then informed me that he had organized the learning groups “based on the kinds of knowledge they [the students] seemed to have.” For example, he attempted to distribute at least one student to each group who had either studied abroad or had knowledge of global history or who otherwise was more literate in the subject of the course.
I then asked Bill's opinion on some of LASTA's suggestions to improve large classes, such as adopting "think pair share activities" and whether or not Bill employed such activities in his course and the result of doing so. Although Bill would above all prefer the maintainance of discussion sections, he stated that WHEN HE HAS EMPLOYED "THINK PAIR SHARE ACTIVITIES," IT HAS BEEN THE STUDENTS PAIRED WHO KNOW EACH OTHER THAT PRODUCE A DECENT DISCUSSION AND BETTER ENGAGE ONE ANOTHER. ENGAGEMENT AND DISUCSSION IS LESS PROSPERUS WHEN STUDENTS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH ONE ANOTHER. I WOULD CONNECT THIS TO BILL'S OTHER OBSERVATION THAT GROUPS WHO HAVE CONSISTENT ABSENTEES DO NOT FUNCTION AS WELL, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT AS COMFORTABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE IMPORTANCE OF A MORE PERSONAL, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND STUDENTS AND STUDENTS AND ACADEMIC STAFF HAS SURFACED AS BEING SIGNIFICANT IN FOSTERING DIALOGUES, CONVERSATIONS, INTERACTION. Discussion is less productive when students are asked to discuss something from the readings or are confronted with more difficult types of questions. Bill stated that while perhaps the discussions would be more lively if he spoke for twenty minutes and then asked students to discuss with one another the topic he was just speaking on, he would feel as if he were "dumbing down the class." Bill also discussed the fact that while some students liked discussion breaks, others interpret classes as serious only if a lecture format is followed the entire time. But, he thinks a lot of students "turn you [the professor] off" after a certain time. I wonder what balance between discussion and lecture would benefit most students and professors, or is it too idiosyncratic of a matter to determine a combination of lecture/discussion that would best suit both teachers and learners?
When asked the question, "If it is inevitable (i.e. due to the budget crisis) that class sizes increase and courses endure the loss of discussion sections, what are some suggestions you might have for improving how courses are taught in a large classroom or lecture hall environment?" Bill responded that he thinks, "The Department should organize to maintain discussion sections." We also discussed whether or not Bill's course should be changed from a 100 level to a 200 level course. The course is complex, involving complicated theories covering a large range of world areas, and keeping up with current events. Would students perhaps receive the course differently, if it were "marketed" as a 200 level course? Again, this relates to Bill's discussion of the preconceived notions (and cynicism) he believes students have about General Education courses and 100 level classes.
In the latter part of the interview, Bill and I discussed the use (and potential use) of technology inside and outside of the classroom and his experiences with its success and failure. Bill stated that one negative aspect of working with WebBoard discussion boards was that students would make wise, that is, snide comments, "which tends to silence people." WE ALSO DISCUSSED HOW SUCH ONLINE ACTIVITIES, AND PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVING RESPONSES TO OTHERS POSTINGS AND FEEDBACK, CAN AND COULD BECOME QUITE TIME CONSUMING FOR PROFESSORS, TAS, AND STUDENTS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE DEMANDING SCHEDULES. STUDENT CONSENSUS AS WELL CONFIRMED THE TIME-CONSUMING COMPONENT OF ONLINE RESPONSES. IRONICALLY, HOWEVER, FEEDBACK AND RESPONSE TO THEIR RESPONSES (BY FACULTY, TAS, AND PEERS) WAS ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS MOST STUDENTS HAD WITH REGARD TO ONLINE WORK, AS THEY FELT THAT SUFFICIENT FEEDBACK WOULD AID IN PREVENTING THEIR ONLINE WORK FROM FALLING UNDER THE CATEGORY OF "BUSY-WORK." INDEED, SOME STUDENT NARRATIVES STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE PARTICULARLY OF PROFESSOR AND/OR OTHER ACADEMIC STAFF FEEDBACK (BEYOND JUST STUDENT-STUDENT RESPONSE). FROM MY INTERVIEWS, I GOT THE SENSE FROM STUDENTS THAT PROFESSOR OPINION AND RESPONSE WAS WEIGHTED MORE HEAVILY THAN PEER RESPONSE/FEEDBACK. MY HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FACULTY RESPONSE IS GRADE RELATED. HOWEVER, BILL AND I THEN BEGAN TO DISCUSS THAT PERHAPS, AS BILL STATED, THERE NEEDS TO BE "MORE NARRATIVES CIRCULATING ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION." SPECIFICALLY, THE CONTRIBUTION THAT STUDENT TO STUDENT RESPONSE, FEEDBACK, AND INTERACTION CAN MAKE TO A PERSON'S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED. In my tutoring sessions, I repeatedly encourage students to learn to appreciate one another as learning resources. As I write in the policy recommendation section, "THE STUDENTS I INTERVIEWED STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK ON THEIR ASSIGNMENTS FROM THEIR PROFESSORS. WHILE, I BELIEVE PROFESSOR FEEDBACK ON STUDENTS WORK TO BE IMPORTANT, I GOT THE SENSE THAT STUDENTS DID NOT AS MUCH VALUE PEER FEEDBACK. AND, AFTER SPEAKING WITH BILL, I BELIEVE IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL IF AT THE BEGINNING OF A COURSE, ACADEMIC STAFF MEMBERS DISCUSSED WITH STUDENTS THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF PEER FEEDBACK. I BELIEVE A STUDENT'S MAIN CONCERN IS APPRECIATION FOR AND RESPONSE TO THE WORK THAT HE OR SHE IS DOING. THEREFORE, PERHAPS IF PEER FEEDBACK WAS MORE POSITIVELY FRAMED FROM THE START, STUDENTS WOULD EARLIER ON COME TO SEE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LEARNING OF THEIR PEERS' PERSPECTIVES AND INSIGHTS AND HOW SUCH DIVERSE OPINIONS AND POINTS OF VIEW CAN OPEN THEIR MINDS TO NEW IDEAS, DEBATES, INQUIRIES, HOW PEOPLE'S PEERS CAN AS WELL BE LEARNING RESOURCES, AND SO FORTH."
BILL’S COMMENTS RELATE TO STUDENT DIALOGUES IN SEVERAL WAYS. BILL NOTED THAT HE DOESN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD ASSUME THAT SUCH TECHNOLOGICAL MODES OF COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION "CAN FILL IN FOR HUMAN TO HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS." I BELIEVE BILL'S STATEMENT RELATES FUNDAMENTALLY TO ANDREW'S CRITIQUE OF THE WAY IN WHICH, AS HE ARGUES, TECHNOLOGY WAS USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR INSTRUCTION IN ONE OF HIS COURSES. I BELIEVE ANDREW'S NARRATIVE SUGGESTS THAT "TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT BE USED TO REPLACE STUDENT TO PROFESSOR OR STUDENT TO STUDENT FORMS OF PERSONAL, THAT IS, LIVE INTERACTIONS BUT RATHER SUCH TECHNOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVES SHOULD FURTHER AND RELATE TO THE INTERACTION THAT HAS ALREADY BEGUN TAKING PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM (SEE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON TECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATION AS NOT EXISTING OR BEING TREATED AS SEPARATE ENTITIES TO COURSES BUT RATHER AS INTEGRAL TO THE PURPOSE AND FRAMEWORK OF THE COURSE AND ITS TEACHING/LEARNING OBJECTIVES). ALSO, BILL'S RESPONSE TO WHICH KINDS OF COURSES HE FELT MIGHT NEED DISCUSSION SECTIONS MORE THAN OTHERS WAS VERY SIMILAR TO JASLYN'S RESPONSE TO THE SAME QUESTION. WHERE BILL STATED, "CLASSES THAT ADDRESSED CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND INVOLVED PEOPLE’S BELIEFS, FEELINGS, AND REQUIRED STUDENTS TO THINK AND ENGAGE OTHERS WITH DIFFERENT POSITIONS WERE CLASSES IN EVEN GREATER NEED OF EITHER MAINTAINING OR ACQUIRING DISCUSSION SECTIONS," JASLYN STATED, "CLASSES THAT REQUIRE YOU TO THINK A LITTLE MORE IN TERMS OF PUTTING IN YOUR OWN OPINION." BOTH COMMENTS SUGGEST THAT IT IS IN COURSES THAT REQUIRE MORE CRITICAL KINDS OF THINKING FROM STUDENTS AND ASK STUDENTS TO INVOLVE THEIR PERSONAL OPINIONS, BELIEFS, FEELINGS, AND POSITIONS THAT DISCUSSION SECTIONS ARE EVEN MORE SO NEEDED. |
Project diary
TBA
November 10, 2003
As of today, I have two student interviews scheduled for this upcoming Friday (November 14th). I hope to gain student narratives concerning their perceptions of the quality of student and faculty interactions they've experienced thus far, as well as their narratives about how they came to their present majors. As Bill suggested, asking students about how they arrived at their majors and so forth may reveal an important narrative of a meaningful interaction, which influenced their path, or a story of how a particular class worked either to confirm of alter a student's academic path. Also, from my meeting with Bill, I developed a few more questions: 1) Are there certain kinds of courses that have a greater need for discussion sections more so than others (what kind of courses and why?); 2) What rooms do students (and faculty) remember as being "comfortable" and/or what rooms to people remember, in general, and how and why; 3) How was the space of remembered rooms organized, and in what ways did such organization contribute to the person's perceptions of and "feelings" for a room?
As a follow up to my readings, and particularly the LASTA piece, I would like to know whether or not it is possible to (re)create a discussion section environment (or elements of said environment) within a large classroom and/or lecture setting, and, if so, how? (Pros? Cons? Reasons and/or motivations for doing so?).
November 11, 2003
Along a somewhat different vein, but also related to various modes of assessment, I'd like to address the following point made by LASTA:
"Use alternative assessment techniques to in-class examinations. Alternatives include short papers, take-home examinations, journals, and online exercises." While I appreciate the notion of incorporating diverse forms of learning assessment, I'm interested to know the kind of feedback students should expect and/or would be able to receive from such assignments. That is, what sorts of difficulties might instructors encounter with regard to providing students with substantial feedback, given the large student population to which instructors must respond to in a large classroom and/or lecture hall setting.
December 2, 2003
I am in the process of scheduling an interview with Bill for this upcoming Monday. Also, I still have to document (on the IP page) my findings based on and the narrative(s) of a second student I interviewed. If possible, I would like to interview Andrew on his response to and perspectives on the incorporation of new forms of technology into the classroom (i.e. the pros and cons of such innovations, how various technologies have been utilized in his classes, and what improvements he thinks might be made on the ways in which technologies are introduced to and utilized within and outside of the classroom).
December 8, 2003
I am glad to have accomplished my goal of interviewing Andrew and to have already posted our interview to the Inquiry Page. I have an interview scheduled with Bill for tomorrow between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. I hope to soon have all of my interview notes and findings posted (and discussed) and am eager to post my ideas for the "Connect" and "Reflect" sections, as I've been thinking a lot about the process and progress of my research and how it relates to current research projects, as well as how my research might serve as a "spring-board" for future research endeavors.
December 17, 2003
Although at first I was going to present the classroom photos I took to people in order to ask them their opinions on the environments as learning/teaching settings, the people I interviewed either attended or taught at the University and therefore already had not only a conception of the diverse environments on campus but had also experienced them. Therefore, I believe my photos (which can be reached by clicking the link to my (project) website) would and can better serve future page viewers, as they can visually access the diverse learning/teaching environments that I discuss throughout my project. Such access will be of particular importance for those users who are not already familiar with the Urbana Champaign campus. |
Refer to other EOTU work
TBA
NOTE: Within the "Connect" section, I list not only the way in which my project currently relates to fellow EOTU researchers' projects but also the way in which I would envision connections to be carried out in future research endeavors. I also discuss areas for future research that I would like to explore (and perhaps others would be interested to explore) with regard to my current project.
December 16, 2003
Thinking about Anne's project and the transition experience for transfer students to the University and its "life," it would be interesting to relate my research to hers, examining further the ways in which transfer students experience student to faculty and student to student interactions, teaching methods, learning technologies, and classroom settings differently or similarly at the University of Illinois than the schools from which they are transferring. Additionally, the former schools of transfer students would provide a rich comparative dimension to my project, enabling me to learn how other schools represent their student to faculty ratio and how it translates to student and faculty life experiences/interactions (an area I am very much interested in exploring further) and in what ways the learning and teaching environments compare and contrast with those of the University of Illinois and the effect such differences have or do not have on the student and faculty population. I would also like to examine the different types of technological applications available at other institutions and compare the ways in which the programs are employed inside and outside of the classroom and the student and faculty perspectives on the results, successful or otherwise, of such programs and their incorporation into the learning/teaching experience. Do transfer students experience more or fewer difficulties with the technological modes of learning they are introduced to at the University of Illinois, or are they indifferent to such changes? If a student transfers from a small (in terms of population) institution to a large institution, such as the University of Illinois, what kinds of efforts do they make to adjust to the new environment; does the change in size, venue, or perhaps teaching style add to the stress or comfort level a transfer student experiences? These are but a few of the questions I would want to further pursue with respect to transfer students.
I also believe my project relates (or could more so with future research) to both Teresa as well as Patti's projects, especially with regard to racial, ethnic, or cultural dimensions of education. For instance, I would like to explore whether or not (and if so) how various student populations, such as minority students, experience interactions with faculty and fellow students differently or similarly from non-minority students. I would also like to investigate the ways in which different minority groups experience University interactions differently or similarly in relation to other minority student populations. With regard to technology, I would like to learn at what age and how different student populations were exposed to technological applications and in what ways their experiences with technology prior to college either advantaged or disadvantaged their college experience (and do such experiences influence people's decisions to remain or leave the University). Teresa's project as well could add both historical as well as contemporary racial dialogues in regards to access to educational resources and how such access either positively or negatively effects student learning and social college and life experiences.
Additionally, I believe my project could relate to Andrew's with regard to how budget cuts do and do not influence discussion section cuts and how those budget cuts that do result in the loss of discussion sections then indirectly effect student-student and student-faculty interactions as well as teaching methods and learning assessments employed. I would also like to learn more about how discussion section cut decisions are made, what factors are taken into consideration in making such decisions (an area of research that I initially thought I would focus more on. However, my project evolved in different directions). For example, Andrew informed me that in the English department, discussion section cuts are directed away from courses required for English majors. While this is beneficial to existing English majors, Andrew also informed me that it was a non-major course that he took which turned him on to becoming an English major. And, at the time he took the course, there were roughly 30-35 seats in the class. Yet, the course is now combined with another course and is in a lecture format. He stated that he believes he might not have had as positive an experience in a larger lecture format of the course, as the discussion was rich in the smaller setting. In the future, I would like to research further the differences in student and faculty of diverse departments response to the loss of discussion sections. |
Project diary
TBA
December 16, 2003
When I initially thought about the "Connect" section (towards the beginning and middle of the semester), I was at first concerned that I might have difficulty relating my research project to others'. However, I have come to realize that the projects connect in multiple and intriguing ways! |
Project diary
TBA
NOTE: In addition to the future research plans and ideas articulated within the “Reflect” section, I have as well listed and discussed other future research plans and ideas within the "Connect" section.
December 16, 2003
Taking the EOTU course and working on my research project has been an utterly amazing experience for me. At the beginning of the semester, one of our class assignments was to investigate the different ways by which one could arrive at the University of Illinois' student to faculty ratio and how, depending on what groups of people were included under the terms "student" and "faculty," for example, the statistical narrative of the student to faculty ratio would change. My findings from but one, small assignment, initiated my inquiries into the qualitative narratives of the student to faculty ratio in terms of how the ratio translates into actual experience (in terms of interaction). I absolutely love that each "stage" of my research progress has been documented, as it allows me to see how my project "grew" and the way my research interests (and I myself as a researcher) changed and developed as I continued to conduct my research. For instance, at the onset of my project, I did not anticipate investigating technology as a variant form of interaction. Even more amazing to me than one assignment emerging into an entire semester long project is the fact that the research I have conducted within this past semester has introduced me to a field of study that I would like to pursue in my future academic/professional undertakings (Anthropology and Education). Interestingly, the more recent facet to my study concerning technology has become an area of prime interest to me with respect to the studies and career I would like to pursue in the future. I am fascinated to learn more about the pros and cons of employing technologies inside and outside of the classroom, how it alters teaching methods and learning assessment, and people's response to such innovations. I would like to research in the future how "hybrids" compare to courses or programs that are completely online based and so forth. I was interested in hearing Nicholas Burbules speak about the term "distance education" in a talk he gave the other day. He noted that "distance" or online education would no longer be named as such, for the online world is no longer so removed or separated from life and all its constituencies. Indeed, online experiences more and more come to constitute a central rather than peripheral aspect of people's lives. And, based on what I've gathered from my ethnographic field work, students as well would like to see technological applications incorporated into the larger structure and/or framework of the class rather than treated as being outside of the matrix, existing as a kind of separate entity. Returning from my tangent, I would just like to close by saying that the research and life experience I've gained while working on this project has been invaluable and introduced me to a new world of possibilities with regard to my life-long goals and ambitions as a scholar, professional, and person. |
Project diary
TBA
December 17, 2003
Policy Recommendations:
The following statements are based on student responses to the ways in which technologies have been employed inside and outside of their classroom experiences.
Technological course components, like other student assignments/activities, must be incorporated into and/or addressed within the larger framework and purpose of the class, rather than treated as separate entities, otherwise students regard such peer conversations (or writing, or web-discussion-based assignments as less valuable, bordering on pointless "busy-work.)" Students would like to see web-discussions and so forth in some way re-visited, for example by viewing and discussing some postings in class, or else have such online work otherwise responded to (for example through response online postings made by either professors or students of the class).
Technology should not be used to replace student to professor or student to student forms of personal, that is, live interactions but rather such technological alternatives should further and relate to the interaction that has already begun taking place in the classroom.
While technology may provide a gateway for new forms of interaction, it cannot do so on its own. That is, applications must be structured into the curriculum to foster student-student and student-professor engagement. For example, as I earlier noted, Andrew's experience indicates that having 30-40 independent "threads" was not a beneficial experience for him, because students never developed a dialogue with one another or the professor. Therefore, for online assignments to be more successful in initiating interactions, conversations, and dialogues, it would be useful to encourage or require students to directly respond to their fellow students' posts. Otherwise, students are posting independent assignments, writing from their own perspectives without being exposed to the perspectives of others by having to critically read and respond to other responses outside of their own. It was also suggested that the number of topics students are allowed to respond to be more focused in order to encourage the development of a rich, in-depth conversation about a topic, rather than having many, yes, but more poorly developed, "scattered" conversations.
Thus, innovative teaching and learning methods must accompany innovative forms of technology.
In order for students to more successfully engage web-activities, the online work must, like other course work, be valued and responded to, receive feedback.
The students I interviewed stressed the importance of feedback on their assignments from their professors. While, I believe professor feedback on students work to be important, I got the sense that students did not as much value peer feedback. And, after speaking with Bill, I believe it might be beneficial if at the beginning of a course, academic staff members discussed with students the value and importance of peer feedback. I believe a student's main concern is appreciation for and response to the work that he or she is doing. Therefore, perhaps if peer feedback was more positively framed from the start, students would earlier on come to see the significance of learning of their peers' perspectives and insights and how such diverse opinions and points of view can open their minds to new ideas, debates, inquiries, how people's peers can as well be learning resources, and so forth.
The issue of attendance policies as well surfaced within the interviews I conducted. Students stated that they were more likely to attend classes that had an attendance policy. However, it is important not to assume that students would only attend classes with attendance policies for the sake of their grades. What I have discovered is that students also value attendance policies because it gives them a sense that their presence matters in the class, that they are not "just another number" whose attendance does not effect the class. Students do not want to be "nameless." In fact, as noted earlier, several students commented on the fact that they are less likely to attend professor office hours because they do not want to have to inform the professor what class of his/hers they are taking or that they are one of his/her students. One student suggested that in lecture courses in which it would be more difficult to take role that short write-ups be utilized as a form of attendance. However, I generally do not find pop-quizzes or short writes to be the most accurate mode of attendance measurement, especially if such activities are administered too infrequently. I do not believe such methods necessarily represent regular patterns of student attendance. Therefore, I would recommend that a more routine mode of attendance be undertaken.
Recognition appears to surface as a vital concern of students with respect to attendance as well as feedback and response to their work. |
Credits and Acknolwedgement
TBA
December 17, 2003
Thank you Nancy and Bill for inspiring me to pursue inquiries into the field of Education, and particularly Higher Education, while encouraging me to develop my anthropological skills in research and ethnography. Thank you also to the EOTU class for sharing its narratives and projects; I have really enjoyed hearing and learning about everyone's projects and ideas, very interesting! Thanks also to all that I interviewed; my project could not have developed as it did without your willingness to share your stories, your experiences. Thank you also to the library staff for being willing to aid us in our research endeavors, even if time constraints prohibited us from fully realizing the benefits (to both parties) that might have resulted from EOTU researchers working with the Library. |
Uploaded Files:
Anth1993.doc
Anth199Mini2.doc
BehindtheRatioQuestions.doc
Users' Comments on this Unit
- Nicole,
You've really done some interesting, creative work here. Your project is well conceived. I think you should contextualize it with national discussions of Higher Education. Creating a dialog witht the American Standards of HIgher Education, reading their views and fashioning your responses ought to be prodcutive. Make sure to get an accurate count of the courses that lost sections. See if their enrollments went up or down. You might want to interview department heads that acceded to ending discussion sections in a number of courses. How were these decisions made? Did they feel pressure from central administration etc.
YOur plans to interview students are very good. Collecting their narratives of learning that relate to your questions behind the ratio will generate a lot of interest. It will be interesting to see how positionality affects perspective on this. Make sure to see how the university officials represent this if they acknowledge it at all. It looks to me that your're ready to move to your ethnnography. I'm really looking forward to reading the materials you put in the create section of your page. You have a very good start. You might want to begin putting these up soon. Try to meet with Nancy and me this week or next week to talk about your interview content etc. Good luck and keep up the very good work. YOu m ight want to look at other schools to see how they represent their teacher/studenet ratio. - by wkellehe@uiuc.edu
- Hi Nicole, WOW there is LOTS here. Because you have used the discuss section to discuss each interview it is harder to go there for the "summary/highlights" -- perhaps you could do this at the beginning or end of this box. In short, we want to know where you are just now, given where you began. And either in that box or under reflect, I hope you will leave your thoughts on where to go from here with this (or related) inquiries (i.e., for future EOTU students). Great work, Nancy - by nabelman@uiuc.edu
- Hi Nicole. My goodness, you have really run with this! Who would have ever dreamed that the student-faculty ratio would have been a gateway to ALL THIS. How thrilling that this is not the end but really a beginning for you! You have left so many trails, questions, and recommendations here and I promise I will do my part to directing student, faculty, and administrators to this page. So delighted that I will be working with you into the spring! Nancy - by nabelman@uiuc.edu
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