Hi Loong,
Hope the following is helpful. It strikes me that there are three issues
in your message.
1. That students demand [online teaching] (?)
I think there are some important andragogies (and pedagogies) in
circulation (some of which has surfaced on this list form time to time)
that are 'learner/student-centred' but not consumer-orientated. It's
important to introduce students to different ways of thinking about
learning and then work out with them what features of an online presence
would 'fit' the approach being taken. For example if the aim is content
distribution then making a recording of a lecture available so that it
can be replayed (perhaps using Powerpoint and Macromedia's Breeze
system) might fit that aim. If the course has different aims then
recording etc might be trying to force students into a particular
relation that is out of step with the aims of the course - depends on
what you're trying to do.
2. That online teaching is 'student-centred, 'effective', flexible and
caters to individual learning' (?) and/or dystopia in nature?
Again back to 1.. There are certainly some things that an online
presence can do much better than a single F2F encounter - but not many
and it seems to me that if all educational processes go 'online' it
leads to the kind of dystopic arrangement that Jim Dobbins noted. Here
'education' involves entering a room full of computers and running
through pre-programmed curriculum - all while you're being charged and
the 'meter' is running.
But, then again, the ability to re-take tests or replay particular
sessions can be hugely supportive of SOME kinds of learning processes -
but certainly not all. I guess it depends on what kind of relations
you're trying to develop with the students as part of their work.
3. That pressure to undertake online teaching where traditional methods
can be used is: 'corrosive of academic integrity, work, freedom and
values' and thus a challenge to academic independence (?).
This sounds to me like the nub of your message. There's no question that
the commodification of relations between universities and students,
the managerializaiton of the State's relation with universities, (which
in part has produced) the distribution of a raft of tools and
techniques that make academic labour more visible, scrutinizable and
calculable ( i.e. in terms of the amount of unpaid value it produces).
This, potentially at least, make academic work more susceptible to
pressure for change. All of these changes have of course ignited an our
erstwhile colleagues the desire to supervise to a great degree the work
we do. The issue then becomes how this is done (what are the practices
used to do it!). Supervision and supportive direction (along with peer
review) are of course the central practices of traditional academic
relations, knowledge production and identities. We have been trained to
accept a level of supervision and direction from senior colleagues and
peers as part of what we do, who we are and how we relate to others.
Seems to me then that if the move to online education is done via these
more traditional and mostly legitimate authority relations, which
obviously come with a degree of discussion/debate/contention etc, then
the answer to your question (is pressure to undertake online teaching
'corrosive of academic integrity, work, freedom/independence, values ?)
is no. And more importantly, online education is not the problem.
What's at stake, and clearly online education is one site where this is
being played out, is the struggle over the practices that organize the
relations of power in a particular setting.
It seems to me that on this issue one's ability to fight illegitimate or
oppressive power relations depends ultimately on one's local
circumstances - relations with supportive colleagues, length of tenure,
past contribution to academic endeavours, centrality of one's teaching
area to the revenue profile of the department etc etc.
In a recent Times Higher Education Supplement article the noted Marxian
cultural theorist Terry Eagleton declared that he refused to use email
or the internet or even a phone and encouraged other academics to
declare themselves luddites and embrace such practices. His argument is
that such technologies get in the way of thinking which is what he, and
by extension we, are paid to do. Of course I'm now eagerly awaiting news
that Professor Eagleton has now been censured by his Head of
Department, given all the University of Manchester's first year level
English lit students to teach each semester, had his conference leave
refused and will be challenging the university in the employment court
on grounds of constructive dismissal - as if!
Craig
Craig Prichard
Department of Management 214 (Tari Whakahaere Kaipakihi)
Massey University (Te Kunenga Ki Purehuroa )
Private Bag 11-222 (Pouaka Motuhake 11-222)
Palmerston North (Papaioea), New Zealand (Aotearoa)
Phone: 0064 (0) 6 350-5799 ext. 2244
Fax: 0064 (0) 6 350 5661 Info-Page: www.massey.ac.nz/~cprichar
_____________________________________________________________
Organization, Identity, Locality (February 10 Conference at Victoria
University) details at: http://www.massey.ac.nz/~cprichar/oil.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: Critical Perspectives on Work, Management and Organization
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Loong Wong
Sent: Sunday, 2 April 2006 1:07 p.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: online teaching pedagogies
dear all
this is my first posting. i am seeking advice here. i would appreciate
if anyone can advice me on effectiveness of online teaching? it has been
claimed by my academic supervisor that students as customers demand it
and it is therefore expected. moreover, it is student-centred,
'effective', flexible and cater to individual learning. i see this trend
as corrosive of academic integrity, work, freedom and values. i also
believe that an academic should be able to decide whether s/he wishes to
participate in this dystopia. any evidence of online effectiveness
vis-a-vis 'traditional' modes of practice i.e. lecture theatre practices
will be most appreciated.
thanks
loong
loong wong (dr.)
central coast school of business university of newcastle
email: [log in to unmask]
>>> Charles Wankel <[log in to unmask]> 04/02/06 5:14 AM >>>
I am undertaking a book project focused on the 100 "key" business and
management topics, issues, or debates that any undergraduate business
major should master for effectiveness in the 21st century. What
critical management issues starkly should be included? It would be
helpful if you provide associated recommended citations that have
breakthrough insight into the issues. Thanks for your collegial help!
Collegially,
Charles Wankel
St. John's University, New York
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