The LTD Project Blog

Thanks to ajisababa for his take on whiteboard instructions (Audacity, 2008.01.28). What he flagged as a change of topic in mid-post precipitates these reflections. He’s right; telegraphic task listings on the whiteboard in class the other day (2008.01.26) were insufficient.

Under such circumstances, there are lots of issues instructors need to consider. For example: In that computer lab. I can display detailed instructions from a host of sources (assignments on the course wiki, for instance), but only if and when I over-ride students’ computer displays. By design, in light of cost factors, that lab lacks separate monitors for student reference while they are working at individual machines.

I chose that lab because it still serves as an part of a blended learning environment. There I can listen and speak to students with little or no technology, answer questions, provide general and individual instructions, offer suggestions, and accommodate requests for technical assistance, with little or no time-delay.

The computer monitor over-ride function in the lab probably works greats for lock-step instruction and technical training purposes. However, since one of my ultimate goals for Engl. VIII-c is creating opportunities for, and fostering students’ tentative steps towards autonomous learning, I can decide to let students stew a bit in their own juices. I often observe what they do (or have done), rather than telling them what to do (or what they should have done).

In the situation ajisaba pointed out, I noticed no one asked for clarification of the boardwork anytime soon. However some students had gmail open, and the most recent message in their mail queues was notification regarding a change on the course wiki. Some who noticed the message opened it quickly, and followed links in to the voice recording assignment. There they found more detailed instructions than I was able to list on the whiteboard, along with links to resources related to Audacity, a tool I wanted them to use in all likelihood for the first time.

Once a couple of students realized by themselves that Audacity was a computer program that they couldn’t download in the lab (rather than a personal character trait), questions and requests for help started popping up around the class. They were ready: a) to learn that the program was already on their computers, and where, b) to open it, c) to learn how to use it, and d) to teach one another about it.

Puddles of understanding burst into pools, and soon almost everyone in attendance was referring to their online profiles for content, and experimenting with microphone settings, making sound tests, and all the rest. I was at liberty to circulate and prod obstinate shells that the rising tide of on-task-ed-ness still hadn’t reached for oh-so-many conceivable reasons. It is moments like that that make blended instruction so satisfying.