Online Discussions

[videogamesrock]

For those of you taking online classes that require online discussions, are you at all concerned that people simply cannot write, or that they make very little sense in their writing? I just read through a few discussions and it is very disturbing how people cannot spell or use the proper form of there, their, and they're.

[cooperalex2004]

For those of you taking online classes that require online discussions, are you at all concerned that people simply cannot write, or that they make very little sense in their writing? I just read through a few discussions and it is very disturbing how people cannot spell or use the proper form of there, their, and they're.

It doesn't change no matter which school I attend. There are always people who don't have their act together and they're not going to make it very easily through the process. How was that?

[videogamesrock]

It doesn't change no matter which school I attend. There are always people who don't have their act together and they're not going to make it very easily through the process. How was that?

It's brilliant!

[UptonSinclair]

For those of you taking online classes that require online discussions, are you at all concerned that people simply cannot write, or that they make very little sense in their writing? I just read through a few discussions and it is very disturbing how people cannot spell or use the proper form of there, their, and they're.

I try to focus on my own work and worry less about others. I struggle with writing so I have no right to judge others.

Online discussion boards are a mess. They are supposed to encourage dialog, but the various requirements create an environment where dialog is manufactured to meet the requirements. My wife and I were discussing this just yesterday. I am working on a website for students to create virtual study groups where real dialog can take place. Students in a classroom environment discuss assignments before and after class without the moderation of an instructor. Having the instructor moderate the forums limits the ability to discuss the quality of instruction and people are afraid of being accused of cheating for asking questions that would be common place in a face to face situation.

[Lindagerr]

I had only one class with discussions. I would never do it again. Some of the people in my class were supposed to be on their last credits and I could not even understand what they were trying to say. I will be the first to admit that on this board I do not always check my spelling or grammar before posting, but this is not a graded class. Our mentor never commented on the discussions so people probably felt it didn't matter. There was a grade for discussions although I don't know if she ever took off for spelling or grammar, I always got 100:coolgleam:.

[cookderosa]

For those of you taking online classes that require online discussions, are you at all concerned that people simply cannot write, or that they make very little sense in their writing? I just read through a few discussions and it is very disturbing how people cannot spell or use the proper form of there, their, and they're.

Ignore it. Post early, post often, and set the tone.

[Bibby]

Online discussions are a mixed bag for me. Some of them have been very interesting and well-done, enabling students to share more thoughtful, in-depth insights than they could in a more fast-paced in-person class. However, discussions about a highly specific or technical topic can be mindnumbingly boring - in those cases, submitting a paper with be a much better format.

And yeah, I've encountered too many students who utterly can't write - people who make 15-20 grammatical errors in a single paragraph. I try not to think badly of them except when they're paired with me in team projects!

I agree that there are things that students - and people in general - are only comfortable discussing in a face-to-face environment. That's one of the things you miss out on with an all-online format, unless students know each other in real life or correspond frequently using e-mail or SMS.

For these reasons, I find that hybrid classes often provide the best of both worlds.