The Teaching Writing With Computers article for tomorrow discussed listservs in great detail, so I though I would provide my own advice on how best to use a listserv.
Step 1. Don't use a listserv.
Well, that may be a little harsh. E-mails that give the entire class important information (cancellations, postponements, etc.) are obviously a necessity. But for class discussion, the listserv has really been made obsolete. Some of you already know this information, but I'm posting for the benefit of those looking for new technologies to use in the classroom.
Anyway, here's my beef with listservs:
1. They clog your inbox. Instead of being in a static location that can be accessed by the student at any time, the messages of listservs may find students at the worst possible time: when they absolutely don't want to think about class. This can cause annoyance, and student inevitably ignoring most of the messages that end up in their inbox.
2. The discourse is unorganized. With listservs, you don't get clean threads of conversation that can be easily followed. Instead, there's more than a bit of confusion, which can make discussion through the use of a listserv far less productive than in-class discussion.
3. The discussion isn't saved in any real, easy-to-access, comprehensive form. Most people are going to care less if their writing becomes that ephemeral.
4. Listservs are too confusing for most people to use properly. In EVERY listserv I've been a part of, people always, ALWAYS reply to the entire group when they mean to reply to a single person (an easy mistake to make). Then they send an apology e-mail to the entire group for doing this. You also have to be physically removed from a listserv instead of quitting it at your own discretion. This can also be very annoying.
So my solution to the listserv is (obviously by this point) the blog or the message board. If you're concerned with students not knowing when new messages are posted to a blog, most Internet browsers have something called an RSS feed reader (which can also be stand alone programs) which informs the user of a blog or web page update without being as intrusive as a listserv. I have writing teachers writing in the "feeds" section of my web browser, and the title of the blog becomes bolded whenever someone makes a new post.
If you're interested in the concept of "feeds" on the Internet, there's a ton of information out there. Or you can just ask me :)
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6 comments:
I agree with Bob on listservs. I think they are a little bit outdated mode of internet discourse. And, I do think they clog your inbox. I like the idea of having a space you to TO, not one that comes to you. That is why I think blogs, or message boards, are a little bit better to use in the classroom. They are not as invasive to the students' personal spaces. That said, the Blake article did have some interesting points to make, although I found it quite funny that she was referring to email as a "new" thing, or a "new" innovation. It has been such a big part of college life since undergrad, it is hard for me to really remember what it was like NOT to be able to contact your teacher this way.
Blake stressed, just as we have been stressing, the same good points about internet discourse. One, it provides a permanent, or semi-permanent record of classroom dialogue. Two, it allows students to continue their critical thinking about the class outside of the classroom. Three, it gives all students an opportunity to participate. These are all valid points, but not ones we haven't read or thought about before.
I thought that the idea of online office hours was kind of interesting. I know a few teachers that make themselves availabe to students online. I don't know how effective it is really, however. I think I might be nervous to engage in online discourse with a teacher via IM, for instance. I would be very conscious, I think of what I was writing. And, I think that I may even feel like I was bothering the teacher, even if they made themselves available. Email seems a little less invasive in this aspect, and I would rather email a teacher than IM them.
I think Blake's insistance that teacher's stipulate guidelines for online discourse is a good one. Students can sometimes be a little lax with online assignments because they don't see it as a critical space sometimes, or don't view it as a "real" classroom space. That said, you have to make sure that you don't make it too "stiff" and therefore drown out the openess that it often is condusive to, but you have to put up some "rules" to have some organization to it.
Yes, it seems the use of listservs described in this chapter is a bit dated. I do like the basic concept of this type of interaction, though, and I think it can still be achieved in other easier, more efficient ways. I thought it was fun that a noted writer was “invited” to the class and that students got involved with writing or business communities outside of the university class. That might be interesting and informative to students.
I’m not sure how I feel about online office hours, personally, but I think it could work for some teachers. It’s just preference, I guess. I always found it helpful when professors told me the normal time they would check email in the evening. When I knew that they wouldn’t check email after 6:00, for example, I knew I had to them email them earlier if I wanted a response.
e-mail is great but shouldn't be relied upon. it can get quite messay, even if you're using gmail.
this week my ksu inbox reached its capacity. i actually had to delete 50% of my e-mails in order for my students to be able to send me their papers this morning. i was very put off by this. the record of what was sent to me in september is now erased.
as for listservs, i agree with bob's warnings. i'm actually bringing a hilarious short story about the disaster listerv.
Our in-class chatroom activity today was a bit unexpected, but rather enjoyed doing something a little different! Maybe that is, itself, another lesson: mix things up for students. Our group ended up talking about the chapter from Teaching Writing with Computers (I now know what MOOs and MUDs are), so I don’t think we got to the Shipka/multimodal article in-depth.
As I started the article and read about the gift basket and video projects, I started to wonder when the writing aspect would come in. Shipka does say that she requires students to compose a “highly detailed written account” of their work, which enables them to articulate their goals, purpose, and rhetorical context (287-288). I like that there’s a holistic thought process involved in the projects, and I think this better reflects how people learn and think. If composition courses are about communication—and not only writing—I see how course structures like these are valuable.
I was also impressed with the students’ creativity and ideas, but how do we avoid overwhelming students with the pressure to be “creative”? Some pressure is beneficial, of course, but are themes or prompts also a good idea? Or does that deter the whole inquisitive/inventive process? I generally think some direction or inspiration is helpful, but I guess we just have to find a balance. And as a teacher, are multimodal assignments difficult to evaluate? I’m imagining myself struggling through/grading Karen’s intentionally frustrating mirror project… yikes.
Mel-
Have you ever thought of getting a (free) G-Mail or Hotmail account? You can have your Kent e-mail forwarded to it (very simple to set up), and it should be nearly impossible to fill up -- unless students are regularly attaching novels to their e-mails.
If so, then :(
thanks, bob. i do have a gmail account, but i prefer to keep it ksu-free. maybe i should get another? that's probably the best bet--these ksu ones don't have much capacity.
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