Abstract
This paper delineates the intellectual and socio-emotional processes of shifting from face-to-face to on-line teaching at the Online BA Program in Sociology at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Using a sociological lens, I will explore the concept of presence in cyberspace to elucidate the possibilities and limitations for humanizing the sociological classroom without embodiment or the structure of synchronous interaction.
Highlights
We're told in online teaching that visual media helps to engage students
Given how little a bit of time I've had with online teaching, I've carried out little systematic research on the topic
It seems critical at this juncture to bracket what the 24-hour response guideline and other impression management tips presuppose and that is, that without conscious, engineered effort to counter the endemic isolation and asociality of cyberspace, online teacher-student relationships risk being devoid of authenticity and real connection
Summary
I’ve been getting acculturated to online teaching from many sources. One mantra I keep hearing over and over again is: 'it's important that you maintain a presence in your class...interact with students online and let them know you're there.' While I have since become aware of the substantial literature on this topic, the message was plain from the start: the teacher's presence needs to be felt by the students. The students seem to connect during various chats, I do not feel as though I connected with my fellow students in the same way that I do in person...As a new professor, I am challenged by the ambiguity of the online learning environment.". It seems critical at this juncture to bracket what the 24-hour response guideline and other impression management tips presuppose and that is, that without conscious, engineered effort to counter the endemic isolation and asociality of cyberspace, online teacher-student relationships risk being devoid of authenticity and real connection. It takes work and involves a range of social actors. I'm sure Arlie Hochschild [8] could help us understand this as a new kind of emotional labour
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