Why I won't teach online

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by Kizmet, Mar 9, 2018.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    That professor has the luxury of choice. He teaches on-campus and prefers teaching that way. Good for him. There is always a supply of people with plenty of teaching ability, who either can't find on-campus jobs -- or prefer online teaching. They need to make a living, too. Not every teacher (or indeed, every student) requires - or enjoys - personal contact as much as the writer of this article. I know from personal experience there are fine instructors who find they do their best work when not confronted with "awkward silences," or other in-person teaching experiences considerations the writer of this article enjoys.

    Not every teacher needs the design of a backpack, or droplets on a water bottle, etc. to impart the day's lesson. If you like or need it, fine. Use it when it's there. If you can get the job done without such stimuli -- great. Must be awful to have a "bad backpack" day!
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2018
    Abner likes this.
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I'll say here what I said there: He doesn't have to give serious consideration to advancements in the tools of his trade. He's tenured.
     
    PhD Stud likes this.
  4. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I "liked" the above quote, but I got to admit my college days at B&M college were the best! Backpack and all! :)
     
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Abner, I've done in-seat (nights) and distance, too. As you do, I prefer B&M - but I'll take either and many prefer distance. It's the same with instructors. Takes all kinds. As Steve said, the prof. who wrote the article is tenured - so he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to. Well, goody for him.

    These days, I seem to spend more time on the college campus than I did when taking classes! But that (hopefully) will change, come next fall. Looks like I'll be back in a classroom (elsewhere) then, finally turning my full attention to the study of Polish - something that has been on the back burner for far too long, sandwiched between learning Islamic finance, Gypsy guitar and a bit of electronics. Time I got serious.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
    Abner likes this.
  6. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Wow! Polish, that's great. Have fun
     
  7. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  8. jonlevy

    jonlevy Active Member

    One reason not to teach online is the bad pay and nonexistent benefits. Another are the canned courses and robotic rubrics that turn you into an extension of a grading machine filling out forms no one will ever read. Need more excuses, the administrators are usually failed lawyers or EdDs or someone's buddy.
     
  9. maglotus444

    maglotus444 New Member

  10. FTFaculty

    FTFaculty Well-Known Member

    Online's great for the right student, more mature students, self-starters, grad students. Online can be a dumpster fire for the traditional student, the 18 to 22 year-old kid who often ignores his or her online class until missed assignments pile up and they're sunk. Have found that unless I pester online undergrad students regularly with emails and class announcements and make quizzes due frequently, I lose a good chunk of them and get these freaky bimodal distributions where the self-starters get their normal solid grades, but virtually everyone who's marginal in any way defaults straight down to an F.
     
    Jahaza likes this.
  11. PhD Stud

    PhD Stud New Member

    So much for "offline" education nowadays:

    [​IMG]
     
  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I know Macs are popular these days, but if that's not staged then I'll be a monkey's uncle.
     

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