Paper Presented at the 1998 Computers and Writing Conference
in Gainesville, Florida
Dawn Rodrigues -- overview
If you were asked to recommend the best model for an Online English course offered at a distance, what would you suggest? Since most English courses currently offered rely largely on asynchronous delivery, you would probably design a course that used threaded conferencing software, e-mail, and listservs to complement whatever series of assignments you design. Or, you might also include either required or optional synchronous visits to a MOO or a chat room (see sample courses. Written conversations have become standard fare in English courses that use collaborative writing software; thus, the move to a combination of conferencing software and chat rooms or MOOs has been a relatively painless one for computers and composition specialists. However, since computers and writing specialists tend to privilege written conversation over face-to-face interactions, they are not likely to consider using a technology that has become a common feature in education courses designed for K-12/college collaboration--whole classroom interactive video conferencing. Nor are computers and composition specialists likely to think of using what is becoming standard in business and industry--interactive desktop video conferencing. In my presentation, I argue that we need a variety of models for teaching Dustance Ed English courses; in particular, we need to consider such factors as the ways interactive video might complement text-based conversations and how text-based conversations might complement primarily interactive video/audio courses. Different contexts demand different combinations of technology and pedagogy.
First, I offer some preliminary comments to provide a backdrop for my current work: specifically, my long-standing conviction that oral communication is important in composition courses as a bridge to written literacy. As further rationale for using interactive video, I suggest that visual presence reinforces an instructor's expectations for attendance and participation. Next, I explain the pedagogy I developed for the interactive audio/video courses I taught this year and show a video tape that will give participants an idea of my goals for the courses I've taught through interactive video and audio technology--two uniiversity composition classes that have been linked with two high school sites. Then, I discuss the integration of web and audio/video delivery courses I am designing for next year, and the ways I plan to integrate interactive video into these courses. I stress that it is possible to use the lessons learned from this year's experience as a seque to courses which include different levels of video and audio interactivity. In my conclusion, I'll talk about the importance of balance in teaching with technology--and suggest that as campuses begin offering more distance education courses, they need to be sure that some are dialogic, interactive courses and, quite possibly, that some of these courses offer an interactive audio and video component.
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