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Fostering Class Identity: Loss of Personal Closeness in the
Computer Lab
As I begin to plan for teaching again in the computer classroom next fall,
one of my main concerns is the atmosphere of my classes. I am used to
having a relaxed and close-knit group. My classes talk a lot and sometimes
loudly. They are unafraid to ask questions or to argue with me or other
students on ideas. I think this atmosphere is due to the time we spend
talking and working together in the regular classroom. I don't
necessarily
subscribe to a touchy-feely kind of class but I do feel that comfort and
friendliness within the class contribute to their ability to learn and to
their dedication to the class. I always get comments like "I hate English,
but I enjoyed coming to this class." If they are there, they can learn. I
am afraid that the loss of half of our regular classroom time due to the
use of the lab on alternate class periods will weaken the closeness of my
classes and the quality of our interactions. To help avoid this, I gave
my students a questionnaire, which I hoped would elicit useful information
on classroom atmosphere, particularly closeness. I learned several things
that will help me plan for next fall.
Methods: I gave the questionnaire to 51 students and asked all
51 about their perception of the closeness and comfort level of the class.
15 viewed our class as "very close", while 30 viewed it as "somewhat
close" and only 4 perceived the class as "not close." (2 couldn't decide
on one category.) Their reasons for marking "very close" or "somewhat
close" all had to do with class discussion and "face-to-face interaction".
I asked the students (35 in all) who had had computer sections of 180
(alternating with classroom) about the closeness and comfort level of
their 180 classes. 21 students felt the non-computer 280 classroom was a
closer environment, 5 felt both were good, and 9 preferred the closeness
of the 180 computer environment. I then asked which environment they
preferred and
why. Here are some sample answers from those who preferred the
non-computer atmosphere:
"More personal and intimate."
"I feel more involved."
"More personal. Plenty of time for computers out of class."
"I feel it brings students and faculty closer together."
"I like the setting better. And you get to know more people in your
class and not just the monitor."
"In a computer classroom there is too much to play with."
"I like the personable approach in class."
"A lot more interesting, personal, and interactive."
While it is not necessary that students
feel "personal closeness" in
class, it is a plus in our 280 setting where much time is spent
discussing topics and ideas, moving toward analysis and argument. I also
feel it's a plus for the students to feel comfortable enough to ask
questions and even pose questions. Clearly, students appreciate the
feeling of lots of face-to-face
interaction at this stage in their
education.
Some students did prefer the computer classroom and here were their
reasons why:
"You can make corrections and look something up on the Internet right
away as opposed to forgetting about doing it after you leave the class."
"Because it gives class time to research, type, and revise your
paper."
"More clarification on what I was doing wrong."
"I like a computer classroom. I was in one my 1st semester. I liked
e-mailing for points because if you do horrible on a paper, that could
help you."
"Then the teacher can show you databases and resources."
"The use of computer time in my class would save me homework time."
These responses tell me that I need to carefully structure my activities
so that the lab doesn't become "homework" time but instead a guided
learning experience where, if research is done for example, that it is
guided research using new databases and tools. Or, if time is given for
revision, that is a guided exercise with specific goals and even group
activities.
Another interesting bit of information uncovered was that of the 35
students who had computer lab 180 classes, only 4 were required to
communicate with other students on-line. To me, looking for suggestions for next fall, this says that an
increased use of online
discussion groups might lead to increased
closeness in classes using computer labs.
After talking with my students and reading their answers to the
questionnaire, I feel there is no question that class
closeness is lost
during lab time. In planning for next fall, I will be sure to be a highly
visible presence in the lab, while planning guided, specific activities.
Group activities in the lab and on-line discussions are also options I
will use to foster class identity and closeness, so I will listen with
interest to the following research, experience and presentations of my
colleagues.
 Hallie Lemon's
Response
Kathleen O'Donnell-Brown
2002
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