This week has presented the issue of keeping students on track. Fleckenstein's "Faceless" article has brought up some interesting thoughts, which tie into our chat discussions. According to her, some students don't see the necessity in showing up for online group work because they see do not see it as unproductive to other group members. The students do not think of other class members as "real." Likewise, they do not think of themselves as a real person, but more of an online character.
Teaching the analysis paper will be a four-week, writing-intensive process. I have planned to split up my class into smaller groups, and I will require them to work together. But if they do not show up (after all, there is no physical authority), then they will drag down the group members who ARE trying their best.
Gottschalk and Hjortshoj put a lot of emphasis on response and revision. It is important and efficient for students to read each other's work and revise.
So, perhaps the solution - to keep the students maintaining their work and their fellow group members' - is to require more than simply showing up to group chats, but also require three suggestions per paper they peer review. Students can take or leave review suggestions, but at the very least, this will keep students from shrugging off revision and review.
This week has presented the issue of keeping students on track. Fleckenstein's "Faceless" article has brought up some interesting thoughts, which tie into our chat discussions. According to her, some students don't see the necessity in showing up for online group work because they see do not see it as unproductive to other group members. The students do not think of other class members as "real." Likewise, they do not think of themselves as a real person, but more of an online character.
Teaching the analysis paper will be a four-week, writing-intensive process. I have planned to split up my class into smaller groups, and I will require them to work together. But if they do not show up (after all, there is no physical authority), then they will drag down the group members who ARE trying their best.
Gottschalk and Hjortshoj put a lot of emphasis on response and revision. It is important and efficient for students to read each other's work and revise.
So, perhaps the solution - to keep the students maintaining their work and their fellow group members' - is to require more than simply showing up to group chats, but also require three suggestions per paper they peer review. Students can take or leave review suggestions, but at the very least, this will keep students from shrugging off revision and review.
Now for the hard part. Enforcement.