Synchronous and asynchronous tutoring - Post 7
I read the section about synchronous and asynchronous tutoring with interest. On one hand I agree with Sallie and Bethany about the limits of online tutoring. I especially can see how the element of investment or care on the part of the student might be absent in online tutoring.
I had experience recently being on the receiving end of both styles of tutoring, with a couple of writing workshops I took over the summer. One workshop met "virtually" on a specific date and time, the essays were submitted and read before the meeting time, and then everyone in the class hopped on a group chat. The instructor tossed out a question about the work, and we all typed in our answers, and, similar to an in-real-life discussion, bounced ideas back and forth with our colleagues. We all got, and were able to give, feedback that was helpful to the person submitting as well as a nice sense of camaraderie with the group. Since it was clear who was responding and who was not, there were stakes to read and think about the piece ahead of time, which most, if not all students did.
Later, I took a workshop which lacked this synchronous component. People submitted their work on a schedule, and we had a week to respond in a small online text box. I found myself, for the first couple of weeks, doing it online at the last minute, cursorily, and, after a couple of weeks, stopped commenting entirely. I lost interest to the point where I didn't even submit my own work. I definitely felt a lack of investment, accountability and community, which made me reluctant to do the work, even though I had chosen the workshop and paid for it. So, I can well imagine what it might be for students who have to take a required course.
In sum, my experience has shown me that face-to-face is best, following which synchronous tutoring should be the next preferred step, and asynchronous as a last resort.
I had experience recently being on the receiving end of both styles of tutoring, with a couple of writing workshops I took over the summer. One workshop met "virtually" on a specific date and time, the essays were submitted and read before the meeting time, and then everyone in the class hopped on a group chat. The instructor tossed out a question about the work, and we all typed in our answers, and, similar to an in-real-life discussion, bounced ideas back and forth with our colleagues. We all got, and were able to give, feedback that was helpful to the person submitting as well as a nice sense of camaraderie with the group. Since it was clear who was responding and who was not, there were stakes to read and think about the piece ahead of time, which most, if not all students did.
Later, I took a workshop which lacked this synchronous component. People submitted their work on a schedule, and we had a week to respond in a small online text box. I found myself, for the first couple of weeks, doing it online at the last minute, cursorily, and, after a couple of weeks, stopped commenting entirely. I lost interest to the point where I didn't even submit my own work. I definitely felt a lack of investment, accountability and community, which made me reluctant to do the work, even though I had chosen the workshop and paid for it. So, I can well imagine what it might be for students who have to take a required course.
In sum, my experience has shown me that face-to-face is best, following which synchronous tutoring should be the next preferred step, and asynchronous as a last resort.
This is very interesting! I am trying to figure out (should things go online) whether/how to use a simultaneous group chat for discussion/debate that I was hoping to do after spring break, and this group chat idea sounds pretty good. I'm thinking that you pinpointed the issue in the "week to respond in a small online text box"--accountability is an important lesson I am trying to teach my students, and so it may, as Callie says, behoove me to come up with a more fast-paced system. The question of investment is difficult, as the lack of human interaction is a little rough.
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