Article Review #1
Schweizer, K. Paechter, M. &
Weidenmann, B. (2001). A Field
Study on Distance Education and Communication: Experiences of a Virtual Tutor.
Journal of Computer-Mediated Education, 6 (2).Retrieved
from:
http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol6/issue2/schweizer.html
Rationale
I
thought it was important for me to choose an article on Distance Education and
Communication for a number of reasons. Being
a student of online learning I have come to realize the importance of
communication in this educational forum. In
one course we described the entire process as a huge barrier game.
You know those games you play with elementary students where one person
describes a picture that no one else can see and everyone interprets the
directions. Often the results are
nothing like the original picture. It’s
all about clear communication and an awareness of how learners interpret the
directions. So too is online
learning. At any given time we must
communicate effectively in the face of many barriers.
During
my first course as a distance student I was eager to present a positive first
impression. In classroom courses I
depend alot upon humour, body language and facial expression to express my
personality and intelligence. This
distributed learning method was new to me and I felt lost without out the crutch
that usually got me through courses. For
the first time I had to present myself using a different manner.
I then realized the need to consider how I communicate to effectively
press the point I wanted to make. This
has created an interest in all things communicative in distance learning.
Description
This
article begins with a description of social presence and the lack of non-verbal
cues in distance learning. This is of particular interest to me as a distance learner
because I recognized some of the “consequences of lack of social cues” from
my experiences. The authors state that group processes might be impeded such as,
depersonalization and de-individuation problems as well as difficulties in turn
taking and disorganization.
Practicality
This article does describe many of my experiences with distributed learning. The examples and difficulties with distance education are clear and does, in fact, reflect occurrences when communication in this online forum is not clear.
The presentation of the research study is very informative and results are presented clearly with tables and graphs. As a reader, I appreciated the headings and subheadings, which could access through links, specific sections of the paper. This meant I could revisit areas of interest quickly and refer back and forth from the study description and results.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Although I really enjoyed this article for it’s similarities to my own experiences in distance learning, I do feel that the authors could have offered more practical suggestions as to how to avoid the pitfalls of lack of communication. The article dooms the fate of communication in distance education when, in my experience, when communication issues are noted and addressed the experience is very enjoyable.
I also felt that Schweizer, Paechter and Weidenmann used too many sources. The format of the article was confusing considering every second line is quoting and citing a source. Little is known of the writers’ own opinions as opposed to the host of chosen resources who have varied beliefs and attitudes.
Overall, this article was an enjoyable read as it related directly to my own experiences. The topic is interesting and enlightening in that it presses the fact that some of the awkward times in distance learning can be attributed to a lack of consideration to communication issues.