Teaching.IU

Context

Many scholars have emphasized the need to find ways to engage students in the online environment (see for examples, Diaz & Bontebal, 2001; Lim, 2004; Angelino, Williams, & Natvig, 2007). In a large, fully online literature class (Introduction to Spanish Golden Age Literature in Translation), the chat tool was used to promote student interaction and bonding among classmates in order to impact classroom retention and student learning (Angelino, Williams, & Natvig, 2007).

Step-by-Step Implementation

The first day of the semester, students receive via email a list of options for a 2-hour long chat session, to which they must respond within three days to indicate their first, second, and third choices. In the rare occasions where they cannot make any of the available sessions, they are asked to provide the instructor with their availabilities. The number of chat sessions is dependent upon class enrollment. Group size should be between four and seven students. Each group has its own chat room.

Online discussions take place every week and on week #2 they begin. The first time, instructors should make sure to be available at the beginning of each session to walk students through the process. After that, chat sessions can run without the presence of the instructor. At the first session, no reading assignments are discussed and the purpose of that session is to engage in a conversation about what will be covered in the class, to assess students’ prior knowledge of the subject, and to help them reflect on what they will learn.

The chat sessions are accompanied by a discussion guide consisting of 15 to 20 questions which follow up on students’ reading responses submitted the week before. These questions can be of different kinds:

1. Questions written by the instructor. For example: The intervention of a dues ex machina is a frequent feature of Lope’s comedias (see Introduction, p. vii). Below is a definition of deus ex machina: “Stage device in Greek and Roman drama in which a god appeared in the sky by means of a crane (Greek, mechane) to resolve the plot of a play. Plays by Sophocles and particularly Euripides sometimes require the device. The term now denotes something that appears suddenly and unexpectedly and provide an artificial solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty.” (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia) Who serves the role of deus ex machina in “Fuente Ovejuna?” Explain.
2. Unidentified quotes taken from students’ responses. For example: A student wrote: “It is a poem, but also a meditation to get closer to God.” Do you think this is a “good” summary of what Teresa of ´Avila meant to write? Whether you agree, partly agree or disagree with this statement, please cite passages of the text to support your argumentation.
3. Questions written by students (as part of their reading responses, students have to write two questions that they wish to ask their peers). For example: In the two stories seen, the main character cuts her hair and disguises herself as a man. How are these disguises used differently?

Effectiveness

The online discussions fosters student learning in a variety of ways: It draws students’ attention to overlooked aspects, it provides them with additional background information to appreciate more the literary works, and it leads them to gain a deeper and richer understanding of the texts to read.

By using students’ questions and comments (which they undoubtedly recognize), we can create a more inclusive learning environment in which they are more willing to participate and learn. The discussions are in general very lively. The real-timeness of the chatroom, just like its offline counterpart (the physical classroom), facilitates bonding among students and thus heightens the class’s sense of cohesion. While waiting for the session to begin and upon finishing the session, students often engage in conversations about what is happening in their life or ask questions about the course and the upcoming assignments. At the end, some of them will also thank their groupmates and say that they look forward to meeting them the following week.

Furthermore, chat-room discussions present some advantages over classroom discussions. For instance, since students must write regularly in the chat to be ‘present,’ format encourages participation form all students, even the ones who tend to be shy in front of a live audience. Finally, students are more accountable due to the fact that the chat histories are archived and can be viewed later; something that also helps at a pedagogical level when they want to review for the final exam. Moreover, these archived chat histories also make assessment of class participation easier and less subjective as it is completed a posteriori and not in media res.

Inclusivity

This approach to discussing assigned readings and other course materials in a virtual environment could also be useful in smaller classes as well as hybrid classes.

Modifications can be implemented to further increase class cohesion and the sense of group togetherness. For example, a virtual presentation or a peer-reviewed assignment could be added (e.g., students can each be assigned a novel to study and write a review that can subsequently be evaluated by classmates). In addition, to enhance student learning and group cohesion, higher performing students (identified as such based on the first reading responses) could become peer-assistants and be paired with those in the class who experience difficulties completing their work.