Technology is Only a Beginning: A Humanistic Approach to Reaching Students
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Bryan McCormick, Ph.D. David R. Austin, Ph.D. We employ the two-way audio, one-way video network of the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS) in our distance learning program. Our graduate program in therapeutic recreation has grown from its beginnings, in 1984, with two sites in Evansville and Indianapolis. Today, in addition to sites throughout Indiana, we serve out-of-state sites located in Maryland, Ohio, and Oregon. Over the past 14 years, more than 40 individuals have completed their entire masters’ degrees, and hundreds have updated their skills, by means of this distance learning program. This past fall, we initiated a new era in our video teaching when we began a "2 plus 2" program with Catonsville Community College in Baltimore, Maryland. Catonsville students complete their upper-level professional courses via interactive televised courses that we offer from Bloomington. We are grateful that our university has the technology that allows us the opportunity to instruct students who are geographically dispersed throughout Indiana, as well as from coast to coast. Without this technology, none of the individuals who have taken advantage of our courses would have had access to training in therapeutic recreation because professional preparation programs are not available in the geographic regions that the programs serve. Yet we have learned that technology only allows us the opportunity to interact with the students at sites miles away. To truly "reach" or "connect" with students at the remote sites we have learned to use a number of strategies that may be categorized under the banner of a "humanistic approach." This is not to say that the need for our current humanistic approach was apparent to us from the start of our televised teaching. At first, we relied on the usual classroom scenario of standing behind a podium to lecture from a prepared script, while occasionally engaging students in discussion of the lecture material. Classes, at the time, originated from a large production studio. The lecture method, combined with the rather impersonal environment created by being in the studio, produced anything but the warm, personal, and interactive classroom atmosphere that we strive for today. What specifically humanistic approaches do we use now to "reach" or "connect" with our students? Here are some strategies that you may find helpful. Design opportunities for social contacts with students.There need to be many opportunities for social exchanges between students and faculty because remote students cannot drop by your office or catch you in the hall. Faculty visits to the remote sites provide instructors a chance to get to know the students and for the students to become familiar with their instructors. We have made visits to the sites both before courses begin and during the term and, in every instance, have found it was a worthwhile trip for the faculty which has been greatly appreciated by the students. Another technique is to engage in "small talk" (e.g., about the weather or a recent or upcoming sports event) with the students as they check in with you at the beginning of class. A technique that we have found particularly lends itself to two and one-half hour graduate classes is the "cool down." The "cool down" is a five- to ten-minute segment employed near the end of the class session. This is an informal time to "just talk" about any questions students may have about the material covered during the class, course organization, approaching assignments, information about an upcoming professional conference, or whatever they have in mind. You may also remind students of the topic to be covered during the next class and any special preparation for it. The main agenda of the "cool down," however, is always for the students and you to have a time dedicated to informal information exchange. Of course, holding office hours during the week to facilitate telephone conversations with students is another technique that permits social contact. Many students today prefer to use e-mail as a means of communication, and this too can be a good means for interaction with students outside of class time. No matter what approaches you use, you will soon begin to get to know your students better as you interact with them socially. Provide a sense of organization and consistency.We have found it to be helpful to maintain a predictable structure during televised classes. This consistency can apply to both presentation of content and time structure. Since many of our students at the remote sites are employed full-time, and our courses are offered in the evening, it is not unusual for students to be a few minutes late for class. This is particularly true in sites located in large urban areas where students may be caught in "rush hour" traffic. As a result, it is sometimes beneficial to begin classes with information, which is beneficial to students, but not necessarily critical. For example, we have used the first few minutes of classes to show new or useful websites, which may help students in either the course, or in their practice. In addition, we may announce information on conferences or report on conferences we have attended. This information-giving serves two purposes: first, it provides an additional cushion of time for students to get to the sites, and, second, it aids in the professional development of students. We begin with a "call around" to make certain that all sites are connected. This is a good time to engage students in "small talk," often asking questions about things that may have happened to them (e.g., became a parent, obtained a new position). Next you may preview the class session so students know what will occur during class. The use of a preview allows students at all sites an opportunity to prepare for class activities. In class meetings where remote site students will be calling in comments, the preview can be used to give them a "heads-up" on when they will need to call in, and what they will be expected to present. Breaks during long classes (e.g., those lasting two and one-half hours) may be distributed throughout the class. For instance, you may wish to take a "brief break" (of one minute) following the "call around" and "preview" segments and before you begin the class lesson and another one to separate the lesson from the "cool down" at the end of the class session. A 5 to 7 minute break is appropriate (and often appreciated!) about one-half of the way through class. During breaks, you may wish to play music and place materials under the document camera. These may be course-related materials, such as discussion questions, or simply the face of a clock indicating when class will resume. Whichever structure we adopt, we try to stick with it throughout the semester so that students know what to expect and, therefore, feel comfortable with the format. No matter the structure, we always begin by welcoming students with a friendly "good morning" or "good evening" and we always provide a "see you next time" or "good night" at the conclusion of class. Display respect for students.There are three major areas under this heading. These are prompt communication, high expectations, and diversity. One of the best ways to show respect for students is to communicate promptly. Get class handouts out to the sites in a prompt manner. Always give prompt feedback on papers and exams. To students, these prompt actions show concern and respect for them on your part. Second, maintain the same high expectations of students at remote sites that you have for students on campus. Let students know that you are not lowering your expectations because you believe that they are not second class citizens receiving a second rate education. Finally, celebrate diversity within the group of students at the sites. Point out uniqueness found in the students at the sites. These may be related to any number of areas including geographic location, ethnic background, and professional experiences. Because students at the sites are often diverse, you can make this a strong aspect of your class by taking advantage of that diversity as students can be exposed to points of view that may differ from their own. Create an atmosphere of sharing.Encourage students at the sites to share their ideas with others. Students may be fearful of talking in class: we have found that a good technique is to ask students at the sites to discuss questions in dyads and then to report to the class. Having the opportunity to talk with a classmate seems to put the students more at ease when answering. We also sometimes encourage group work by students at the sites that result in products to be shared with the other sites. For example, we have asked them to work together to prepare videotapes of a treatment intervention (which may be role-played) and then have other students critique the session. Another technique we have used is to have one or more students at one site interview one or more students at another site. This can be done in the form of a role play in which student groups are given background information on their own roles. For example, in a course on consultation we have used multiple role plays to demonstrate the effect of the client’s view of the consultant on the consultation. Three clients were selected at remote and origination sites, and three consultants were selected also at remote and origination sites. The clients and consultants were all provided with role information prior to class, and interviews then took place during class time. Following the three interviews, groups of students at sites which may not have been involved in the role play were asked to act as observers of the interviews and report their observations. As a result, all remote sites and the origination site were involved at some level in the role play and were able to share the experience with the rest of the class. We, as instructors, also share with our students. Not only do we share experiences that we have had in the field, but we also share information on articles or books we have come across while teaching the course and information from conferences we have recently attended. On occasion, we have shown photographs taken at conferences from which we have just returned. In turn, students have sent us professional information or photos of themselves at work or at a local workshop to share in class. Humanize the classroom environment.There are any number of things we have done to make what is a "high tech" environment a friendly place in which to learn. One method for this is to have students at remote sites send in individual or group photos. This affords students at origination and remote sites an opportunity to see fellow classmates. We also use these photos on-screen when students at remote sites are offering comments or reporting group discussions. In addition, during holidays, such as Halloween, we may decorate the studio-classroom. Usually our on-campus students join in helping with the decorations and, when prompted, may even bring refreshments for the break! In so doing, we strive to portray a playful approach to the serious business of learning. The use of humor, and even telling jokes, is another means to create a "light" atmosphere while teaching over television. We also strive to maintain a supportive communication climate by giving as much positive and encouraging feedback as possible. In another effort to humanize the classroom environment, we let the students at the sites get to know the producer/director who works with us during the class. When we have a new producer/director, we will typically ask him/her to come out of the control room and appear on camera for a minute so that students can connect a face to the name. Having been "introduced," the students feel more comfortable in interacting with this person when technical concerns arise and come to understand that the producer/director is a part of our team working to provide the class for them. (They also know with whom we are speaking with when we refer to the unseen producer/director by name!). Finally, from time to time, we take a page from David Letterman's book by showing irreverence for television. We wish to convey to our students that we do not worship technology or attempt to make our classes "Hollywood Productions." Instead, we attempt to portray technology as something we simply use to help them to learn. Finally, just as we would typically do in a non-televised classroom, we try to make eye contact with most of the students. This entails spending at least a portion of the time looking directly into the camera. We try to make this a natural part of our lectures and discussion. In this sense, the camera represents another student in our studio classroom. This is particularly critical when students at remote sites call in with questions on lectures or feedback to an exercise. Although much of our learning over the past 14 years has, by necessity, been by trial and error, we believe we have gained enough experience to draw some conclusions and make recommendations that may benefit others who teach over interactive television. We hope that the strategies we have presented here will be helpful to others who will join with us in offering students the kind of "high tech, high touch" approach we believe we would like to receive if we were to sit in our students’ seats at a remote site during one of our satellite video courses. |
