However, there are things that happen in an online course that I find extremely annoying. I’ve talked with many of my colleagues, and it’s not that these things happen in only one class but they happen consistently in nearly every online class others and I have taken. So here’s a list of the three most annoying things that happen in online classes.
Classmate introduction posts
My problem isn’t with the introductions themselves; it is nice to know the backgrounds of people in your class, and it saves me time because I don’t have to Facebook creep on everyone. The thing I have a problem with is instructors requiring you to introduce yourself then comment on others’ introductions in the D2L discussion board.
How do you react to a five-sentence introduction?
At the most, there’s friendly small talk like, “You went to Wagner? I have a cousin who went to school there!”
Like I said, that’s the most thoughtful response.
The other type, whether truly sincere or not, comes across as feigned interest.
“It’s really neat that you’re an engineering major!”
“I’m sure you’ll have lots to share in this class!”
“You have an interesting life!”
“Your job seems neat!”
“Your cat sounds nice!”
These comments could be on any part of your introduction and are always followed by an exclamation point, as if that makes the insincerity disappear.
It’s great for everyone to introduce themselves, and if someone really does want to react to an introduction then great, but don’t require it. It just leads to stupid remarks.
“I thought you had neat take on the issue!”
“Great post! I never thought of it that way before!”
“I felt the same way!”
“Your one sentence was funny and made me laugh!”
“You would like this article! www.somewhatrelatedlinkIdontwanttoread.com”
What a waste of time. Rather than require, for example,a 10-post minimum, professors should require a few substantive, thoughtful posts.
The Mirrored Forum
The Internet is not nice place. A trip to the YouTube comments section is a prime example, and it’s not alone. Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and Trutherism (any -ism, really), are all prevalent on a lot of discussion forums, complete with flagrant misspellings stupid usernames (I’m looking at you HawtBoiTruther69).
D2L discussion boards, however, are free of this. While not being a jerk to your classmates is great, D2L posts are usually too nice. Students often are required to critique each others’ work. Rather than constructively critique, though, students forgo helpful comments and opt for the far simpler option: meaningless remarks.
“I like the part where you talk about your cat. VERY FUNNY!!”
“Your paper was very inspirational!”
“GOOD JOB! GREAT RESEARCH PAPER!”
You couldn’t find one thing wrong with my paper? You don’t have any advice to offer?
D2L classes are a mirror of the rest of the Internet. Instead of becoming unabashedly mean-spirited, people become uselessly friendly. There’s a happy medium, and it’s being nice but honest and actually giving someone a helpful critique.
A Reasonable Solution
The unfortunate truth is everyone is guilty of doing these things, myself included.
But it doesn’t mean this pointlessness has to continue. Students and professors, be aware of these D2L tropes and make a conscious effort to avoid them, lest I have to read through more insincere one-liner compliments.
This column originally appeared on Tony Gorder’s blog Cool & Unusual Punishment.
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WOW, nice post!!!!
I like how you keep relating to your cat.
Yes, I’ve thought that too.
As an online instructor (at a different college), I troll the ‘net looking for thoughtful and sincere analysis of what students genuinely like or despise about web courses. This is one of the better analyses I’ve read, and I appreciate your candor. Yes, there were errors (paragraph 11: student/students; That’s the great/That’s great; etc.), but your comments have a genuine ring of truth. I don’t require students to reply to others. They are required to read them (and D2L lets me know when they do) and encouraged but not required to respond to those that strike their fancy. More profs should take your insights to mind. The voluntary approach actually generates more posts, better posts, and more honest feedback because it’s not generated from an “I have to get through this and get the grade” paradigm. Good work, Tony. I hope my peers are listening.
I’m taking an online course, and it’s not worth it.
1. They are all outdated and obsolete, considering what the internet has technically available (online media, live chat, screen sharing just to name a few). Besides,forum based websites were used back in the day in 2003.
2. Some colleges offer these online courses, but the actual course iscoming from another college separate from the college that you have registered with.
3. For all I know, the teacher could be in India.
4. Need help? Good luck getting real answers from the teacher. They cant “show” you the way, with what they use.
5. I feel like telling some people off real bad
6. I cant sleep anymore
I am so glad that I am not the only one who feels this way about online classes. In my opinion, they are a complete waste of time. I know for a fact that a lot of people in my online Physics class copy and paste answers to quizzes, discussion boards, and the likes from the Internet (how will the teacher know?), and it isn’t fair because I really want to LEARN the material, but I’m making lower grades than they are. At the same time, I feel like I am not learning much at all. I feel like I’m getting the work done but I am not actually retaining anything. I’m never taking online classes again.