Find a person to interview who graduated from college in the early to mid 1980s, or earlier (a family member or friend is acceptable). Ask how often this individual interacted with his or her professors outside of classroom (referring to phone calls in the evenings, office visits, etc.).
Compare and contrast how often you and your friends communicate with your professors outside of class (through email, voice mail, etc).
What would a critical theorist have to say about both the workload of the professor and the impact of these technologies on the students?
Your responses to Blog Post #5 are due by 5 pm Eastern Time on Monday, April 12, 2010.
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After talking with someone who graduated from JMU in the early 80’s, I found out that there are many differences with how students interact with their professors in the 70’s and 80’s compared to now. In the late 70’s and 80’s I was told that in order for students to contact professors they would either have to call them using a landline phone or go to their office, write them a note and leave it on their board outside of their office. Students did not communicate often with professors outside of class during this time. Students now have many options to contact a professor and the most convenient way is, of course, by sending them an email. It is much more common now to interact with professors outside of class, for example eating with them at lunch at the “Take Your Professor to Lunch” program now at JMU. In the late 70’s and early 80’s professors would respond by addressing any matters in class either the next day or 2 days after a student had left them a message, depending on when the next class was held. Professors, with the convenience of email, can now respond to a student’s email within an hour or less of when it was sent. Usually professors will respond to students in less than 24 hours of when they were approached or emailed.
ReplyDeleteThe impact of technologies such as email has made it much easier for students to contact their professors and get a response within a reasonable amount of time. Students probably feel more comfortable with asking questions to professors through email, rather than in class. While professors are able to respond using email, their workload has probably increased due to many more students having comments and concerns. The amount of questions from students that professors have and must respond to has most likely increased since the 70’s and 80’s due to the easily accessible technologies such as email and the growing numbers at universities.
The person I interviewed graduated from JMU in the mid 80s. To put it in perspective, the fax machine was just becoming popular and prevalent on campus. This is a huge contrast from our current society’s dependence on computers, cell phones, e-mail, voicemail, etc. To state the obvious, dependence on technology was far less back in early 80s than it is today. The person I interviewed said her professors were available to her during class time and their office hours. However, if there was an emergency or something came up, the only way they’d know was if a professor taped a note to their office door or sent another professor to say class was cancelled. Chances are everybody would have already come to campus and have been waiting in the classroom before they found out the news. I’ve had professors send me e-mails 20 minutes before class starts saying that it’s cancelled, and I haven’t even left my apartment yet. It’s nice because I don’t waste my gas or my time coming to campus when there’s nothing to come to campus for. She said she felt like procrastination wasn’t as big of an issue then as it is today. Students couldn’t really talk to their professors the night before the assignment was due – if they had a question, they had to make sure they were going to be able to have it answered in time. If they didn’t, they were out of luck.
ReplyDeleteWe talked in class about how if a company gives you a Blackberry, it sort of implies that you should be available for work related tasks at all times. A critical theorist would say this is definitely a case of workers being oppressed. It can be troublesome separating work from home life, and that can lead to major issues during someone’s time at a company. The workload of professors nowadays seems as though it is probably a lot more than it was in the early to mid 80s. Each student has multiple ways of contacting the professor – that means the professor may have to answer the same question from eight different students, over the course of the semester. Due to the fact that a lot of people do not read mass e-mails, the professor might not want to send out a mass e-mail to the class, yet that would be the most effective medium through which to answer the question. So they choose not to, and simply have to endure answering the same question, eight separate times. I feel as though students don’t listen as much today, and don’t write as many things down or try to remember them because they figure they can just e-mail the professor and ask at a later date. Students today expect their professors to be available all the time. It’s similar to the Blackberry issue, of feeling like you’re on call 24/7, and how it can lead to issues with family and home life.
My mother graduated from Eastern Kentucky University 1978 . When asking about how she interacted with her teachers, she mainly visited their office. This established a better relationship with her teachers. Today, I interact with my teachers but it’s mostly done over email because of its convenience. Even if I want to set an appointment with my teachers in their office, I usually email to ask for their availability. While my mom was in college, she did not have a cell phone. All her friends used landlines. Today, people can’t get through their day without their cell phones. Back when my mom was in college, I wonder how school emergencies, class cancelations were sent to the student body. Today for example, we get a text message, email, message on JMU’s homepage, and flat screen notifications to inform us on school closings. The Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) we have today did not exist forty years ago.
ReplyDeleteOver the years, I have developed closer relationships with my professors. Now that I’m fully into my major and minor classes, I have had teachers numerous times for my classes. I feel comfortable going and talking to them during their office hours. Because today there are more ways to communicate, I’m able to interact with my teachers more often. I find myself going to my teachers and advisor to get advice on my future. This creates a good relationship because they know what’s going on in my life and can continue to keep up with me. For example, I was explaining to my writing teacher about an internship I wanted to apply for. She was one of my references and every time I see her, she always asks about the internship (which I thankfully got!) She was a huge encouragement in that process.
I would say with all my teachers, I mainly talk to them via e-mail and face-to-face. Email is quick and easy. Most of my teachers always have their email up so they can replay within 24 hours. Because my minor and major are both in Harrison, it’s easy to pop into one of my teacher’s office. Face-to-face interaction lead to a stronger relationship also. Similar to myself, most of my friends have gained a better relationship with their teachers because they have taken multiple courses with certain teachers.
The workload and impact of CMC have increased the amount of time spent doing work—even outside normal office hours. Emails are consistently flowing into inboxes and students usually expect to be answered within 24 hours. Advances like email on phones make this separation more difficult because one can check their email whenever and wherever. With this constant flow of communication, it’s hard to separate work from home life. Both are important yet one should focus on each as separate things.
Although my mother did not finish college, she has acquired many interesting and unique experiences during her time at Pfeiffer University during the 1980s. Pfeiffer is located in North Carolina and held less than 1,000 students while my mother attended. This small university, college then, was also a strict Christian school, in other words the wildest college around town. I have heard many stories about her experience there but they all seem like they should be in a movie and are in some ways very different from my college experience.
ReplyDeleteMy mother said she and other students would party and drink with professors on numerous occasions. She remembers her English professor Daisy Cotton and how they would discuss books while having a casual drink or two. However, not all professors participated in this manner, and her being a theater major may be a reason for this unusual activity. Also, professors lived on campus with students, making the learning environment completely different than mine at JMU.
In regards to school work and communication, my mother says she contacted professors often by simply going to their office. Even visiting them at their homes was not an uncommon occurrence. Communication was very open and conversational at Pfeiffer. In some ways this open communication is also common at JMU, specifically in the Communication department. I have seen many of my professors outside of the classroom. However, drinking with my teacher is different now because many would question whether this is ethical or whether this crosses teacher-student boundaries. Times have changed and in some ways have put restrictions on the bonding relationship between students and their teachers, specifically with face-to-face communication. When I asked her about technology, she replied that there was not much of it. Computers and cell phones were not in use, resulting in either more face-to-face communication or land-line conversations. Overall, people chose face-to-face communication then which is rare today, especially in classes that use information and communication technology (ICT). Now most school work is done without a professor even being near a student, causing a major decrease in face-to-face communication. I personally check my e-mail at least five times a day which seems ludicrous when I put a figure on it. I always have my cell phone near and e-mail teachers if I have questions. Another interesting aspect of technology is how common it is for students and professors to be Facebook friends. Perhaps Facebook is as close a comparison to my mother’s drinking relationship with her professors. The internet has completely changed interpersonal relationships between teachers and students.
A critical theorist would have a huge concern with this increase in technology. Critical theorists are concerned with abuse of power and how technology is less concerned with the person but rather has a focus on completing tasks. For example, technology is rarely used without having a reason or specific interest. Technology is growing and can cause unintended consequences such as reducing social interactions. Students are greatly affected because this can reduce interpersonal skills which are highly needed to obtain jobs and keep them, especially during a tough economy. Professors’ struggle as well due to pressure to keep up with changing technology and a greater focus on online learning. Overall, an increase in technology has caused many changes in our society, some for good and some for worse.
Although my mother did not finish college, she has acquired many interesting and unique experiences during her time at Pfeiffer University during the 1980s. Pfeiffer is located in North Carolina and held less than 1,000 students while my mother attended. This small university, college then, was also a strict Christian school, in other words the wildest college around town. I have heard many stories about her experience there but they all seem like they should be in a movie and are in some ways very different from my college experience.
ReplyDeleteMy mother said she and other students would party and drink with professors on numerous occasions. She remembers her English professor Daisy Cotton and how they would discuss books while having a casual drink or two. However, not all professors participated in this manner, and her being a theater major may be a reason for this unusual activity. Also, professors lived on campus with students, making the learning environment completely different than mine at JMU.
In regards to school work and communication, my mother says she contacted professors often by simply going to their office. Even visiting them at their homes was not an uncommon occurrence. Communication was very open and conversational at Pfeiffer. In some ways this open communication is also common at JMU, specifically in the Communication department. I have seen many of my professors outside of the classroom. However, drinking with my teacher is different now because many would question whether this is ethical or whether this crosses teacher-student boundaries. Times have changed and in some ways have put restrictions on the bonding relationship between students and their teachers, specifically with face-to-face communication. When I asked her about technology, she replied that there was not much of it. Computers and cell phones were not in use, resulting in either more face-to-face communication or land-line conversations. Overall, people chose face-to-face communication then which is rare today, especially in classes that use information and communication technology (ICT). Now most school work is done without a professor even being near a student, causing a major decrease in face-to-face communication. I personally check my e-mail at least five times a day which seems ludicrous when I put a figure on it. I always have my cell phone near and e-mail teachers if I have questions. Another interesting aspect of technology is how common it is for students and professors to be Facebook friends. Perhaps Facebook is as close a comparison to my mother’s drinking relationship with her professors. The internet has completely changed interpersonal relationships between teachers and students.
A critical theorist would have a huge concern with this increase in technology. Critical theorists are concerned with abuse of power and how technology is less concerned with the person but rather has a focus on completing tasks. For example, technology is rarely used without having a reason or specific interest. Technology is growing and can cause unintended consequences such as reducing social interactions. Students are greatly affected because this can reduce interpersonal skills which are highly needed to obtain jobs and keep them, especially during a tough economy. Professors’ struggle as well due to pressure to keep up with changing technology and a greater focus on online learning. Overall, an increase in technology has caused many changes in our society, some for good and some for worse.
The person I interviewed graduated from a small university in Michigan in the 80s. I asked him about how he met with his teachers and got extra help when needed. My interviewee explained to me that in order to meet with his teachers to get extra help, he would have to go to their office. He explained that back in those days, they didn’t have cell phones, the types of computers we have today and other electronic devices. The person I interviewed said they would have to use a landline phone to get in touch with a professor, write letters and notes or talk to them in class. Today, most students have their own cell phones and they have laptops with access to email. Email is very efficient these days to get in touch with anyone especially with professors and their busy schedules. My interviewee informed me that most of the interaction with him and the professors was done in class, usually after class was over, besides that it was more difficult to meet with them in their offices without a good way to communicate when they would be in their office. This person was telling me how inconvenient it was to meet up with friends even since they had to use landline phones. I can’t imagine what it would be like to meet your friends or professors on a whim by only keeping in touch by landline phones.
ReplyDeleteThe use of electronic technologies, like email, has made life and communication much easier for students these days. Email is more effective today because it is easier for students to get in touch with their professors about questions and assignments. Professors here at JMU respond very quickly, in at least a couple of days once you send out the email.
My friends and I communicate with our professors more often than the person I interviewed informed me. Personally, I go to my professors’ office hours when I need help with an assignment, need some direction or have a question. I go either once a week or every other week, because I always have a question or need some advice on a project or assignment. I mostly communicate with my professors through email which usually leads to meeting them in their office during their allotted office hours. My friends do exactly the same as I; they use email and their professors’ office hours to meet with their teachers. Email is crucial in our society today in communicating with people. It’s efficient and effective.
I believe a critical theorist would be concerned about this increase in the use of technology and the different forms it is in now. Technology focuses on getting a task done and efficiently and since technology is rapidly expanding, it can have consequences that one may not expect. For example, the use of email is efficient; however, this can lead to having less face to face interaction with a person, which can be very important at times. I think professors have a lot on their shoulders because they have to constantly keep up with all the new technology that arises. There are always positives and negatives to changes in our society so with the rise of technology; there will be many positive outcomes and some negative consequences as well.
After having an extensive discussion with my cousin about her college experience in the mid 1980s, she gave me some insight on her interactions with her professors outside of class. During this time, they did not have cell phones to quickly communicate, nor did email exist as a way to get a quick response. If she wanted to meet with her professor it had to be during class, during the professor’s officer hours, or at a designated time they decided before or after a class period. If there was a reason to get in touch with a professor for an emergency, or to cancel a meeting, she had to call the landline. Another way she would get in touch with her professors was to leave a note outside their office door with her phone number. This is very different than how I communicate with my professors. Whenever I am sick or have a questions I send a quick email, and I sometimes but very rarely call their office phone. I also use twitter with some of my professors, and I sometimes G-chat (gmail) with my professors if they are on and I have a quick question. As well, I go to my professors’ office hours.
ReplyDeleteEverything today is all about immediacy and receiving a quick response both from teachers and from students. I tend to communicate on a regular basis outside of class with a good amount of my professors, especially being in my major classes. With the amount of work, and work becoming hard as I get older, I have more questions in order to have a better understanding of what I am doing. My cousin explained to me that she did not interact a lot outside of the classroom with her professors because it was not very easy to quickly get in touch with them to talk or to meet. Most of the interaction I have outside of the classroom is through technology, which is very foreign to how my cousin interacted with her professors.
I believe a critical theorist would be very concerned with the direction and use of technology today. Since technology is about getting tasks done, and communication is limited to accomplishing things especially in the work world, technology takes away from face to face interaction. Face to face interaction is important to build relationships and rapport. These consequences of technology based interaction are unintended, which greatly impacts are interpersonal skills, and our ability to get jobs. I feel the increase use, and type of technology, puts a burden on professors to keep up with the different technology being used to interact. Though this helps everyone stay up to date and informed, which is the positive, we have seen, as I have stated, some of the negatives.
After having an extensive discussion with my cousin about her college experience in the mid 1980s, she gave me some insight on her interactions with her professors outside of class. During this time, they did not have cell phones to quickly communicate, nor did email exist as a way to get a quick response. If she wanted to meet with her professor it had to be during class, during the professor’s officer hours, or at a designated time they decided before or after a class period. If there was a reason to get in touch with a professor for an emergency, or to cancel a meeting, she had to call the landline. Another way she would get in touch with her professors was to leave a note outside their office door with her phone number. This is very different than how I communicate with my professors. Whenever I am sick or have a questions I send a quick email, and I sometimes but very rarely call their office phone. I also use twitter with some of my professors, and I sometimes G-chat (gmail) with my professors if they are on and I have a quick question. As well, I go to my professors’ office hours.
ReplyDeleteEverything today is all about immediacy and receiving a quick response both from teachers and from students. I tend to communicate on a regular basis outside of class with a good amount of my professors, especially being in my major classes. With the amount of work, and work becoming hard as I get older, I have more questions in order to have a better understanding of what I am doing. My cousin explained to me that she did not interact a lot outside of the classroom with her professors because it was not very easy to quickly get in touch with them to talk or to meet. Most of the interaction I have outside of the classroom is through technology, which is very foreign to how my cousin interacted with her professors.
I believe a critical theorist would be very concerned with the direction and use of technology today. Since technology is about getting tasks done, and communication is limited to accomplishing things especially in the work world, technology takes away from face to face interaction. Face to face interaction is important to build relationships and rapport. These consequences of technology based interaction are unintended, which greatly impacts are interpersonal skills, and our ability to get jobs. I feel the increase use, and type of technology, puts a burden on professors to keep up with the different technology being used to interact. Though this helps everyone stay up to date and informed, which is the positive, we have seen, as I have stated, some of the negatives.
After talking to someone who graduated from St. Marys College of Maryland in 1982, I cannot imagine having such a lack of communication technology today. She explained how professors almost expected a relationship with each of their students-- this is a small college, however. Any time you wanted to speak to a professor, you would stay after class or drop by their office. She said it was very casual just to drop by unannounced and just chat about whatever-- she thinks it contributed to her learning as well as her interest in the material. The only bad thing about this form of communication was that if there was ever a class cancellation, the professor would just leave a note on the door. Even though most of the students lived on campus, it was still a hassle to get up in the morning and go to class when you could have slept in, she said. It seems, though, from the way she described her professors, that they were much more laid back about assignments-- perhaps because they formed such close relations with each student and trusted them to finish their work. She said she felt like she could take her time on her assignments for the most part, turning them in a couple days late sometimes as long as the professor knew they were working hard on it. Today it seems like professors are all about the due dates, and students just scribble out a paper hours before it is due on occasion without much developed thought at all.
ReplyDeleteOf course, today we have email and cell phones, blackboard, e-campus to sign up for classes, etc. Life seems so much more fast-paced and instantaneous-- you can get answers right away if you want. This can leave some students feeling on edge and impatient, while back then people, at least my friend, went more with the flow of things. Nowadays, Some teachers even give out their numbers for students who want to call them about how to solve certain problems; this definitely beats trying to make it to office hours. Does it make us lazy, though? Does it discourage face-to-face communication and relationships? Probably. It does, however, make our lives much more convenient.
Critical theory is concerned with making organizations act more humane-- breaking down the walls, empowering the underprivileged, and promoting equality. Face to face communication promotes equality, to me, because it suggests that you are on the same level enough to have a conversation together and make use of each other's time. Communication with technology may suggest that one party is too busy to lend some of their time for a conversation, and that may be the case, but there is an obvious power differential. Technological practices can become a part of an organization and discourage face to face communication, thereby encouraging other impersonal ways of communicating and, ultimately, producing misunderstanding. A Critical theorist would argue that you should challenge existing frameworks, and push for an equal playing field that puts all people and their interests first.
I interviewed my dad who graduated from VMI in the 70s. As a baseball and football player all 4 years of college, while being involved with ROTC, he did not have a lot of free time. Because of his little free time, he had very little communication with his professors. Back then, in order to communicate with a professor, he had to visit their office, send a letter, or use a landline to call, since cell phones, lap tops, and email/internet had not been invented yet. As a busy student, cadet, and player, he did not visit his professors at their offices very often, therefore he had little to no contact with them outside of the classroom. It was inconvenient for him to go to their office, find a landline (since there were no landlines in the dorms) and to send a letter, so he relied on his classmates for any help he needed, as his fellow cadets, teammates, and "dormmates" were much more convenient.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to compare my experiences with professors today with my dad's experiences back in the 70s. I am lucky to have the convenience of email, blogs, internet sites (such as blackboard) to communicate with my professors frequently. When I seek help from my professors, I email them to set up an appointment and meet with them at their office. I usually communicate with professors every few weeks, much more often than my dad. When my dad needed to seek help, he rarely went to their office and chose to rely on his knowledge and his classmates to guide him with projects, for instance. I truly do not know what I would do if I did not have the convenience of a lap top, connect to the internet, and send quick emails to my professors. It would be unfortunate if I had to rely on classmates (most likely those in my dorm) for help or to go by their office hoping they are free.
A critical theorist would respond negatively to the communication changes over the years. It is evident and very clear that there has been a dramatic rise in technology over the years, as it continues to grow. Our communication has progressed from letters, to telegraphs, to IPADs, and who knows what is next to come. The internet, particularly email, has reduced the amount of face-to-face interaction in our society which makes communication much less personal. This causes a major problem for those seeking jobs because interpersonal interactions with businessmen on a daily basis helps them prepare for their own interactions in the work place. With a lack of face-to-face interaction with professional bussinessmen, it makes those less prepared for the business world. It is unfortunate that technology is consuming our society and even overwhelming those from older generations, such as my dad. He just purchased a BlackBerry this Christmas to keep up-to-date with the rise of technology and finally understands how to send a text message.
Even professors must keep up-to-date with technology as well, particularly with new websites like Twitter, WordPress, and other sites. Therefore, professors today have the use of technology to grade papers, evaluate presentations, and grade tests, but back then, professors most likely had to hand write everything with regards to evaluations. It seems to be more time consuming to hand write everything than to type evaluations, which, to me, is a major convenience for professors today. But, as already stated, it is less personal than hand written messages. I believe the rise of technology is an advantage for us when it comes to communicating out of convenience, but is a disadvantage for reducing the amount of interpersonal interaction we have on a daily basis, with professors especially.
The person I interviewed said they almost never interacted with professors outside of class time and designated office hours. Technologies like email and cell phones were nonexistent during the 1970’s, which is why communication between professors and students has gone up so drastically in recent years. There are many more ways to communicate now, and these ways a generally easier and more convenient. The most beneficial aspect of the new ways we have to communicate is how fast we can communicate. I can write and send an email to a professor and they could receive it within minutes. This makes asking simple questions and distributing important, urgent messages easy.
ReplyDeleteThe new technologies we now use have definitely made things easier, however they have also created a much larger workload. Due to the fact that people can almost always be reached, professors may feel as though they are forced to always be working. Even when at home on the weekend, many professors probably feel as though they have a commitment to do work or respond to students’ emails. I think all the new technology has made students less reliable and less concerned with remembering things that are said in class. I personally write very little down in my planner or for taking notes. I just assume that I will remember what I need to remember and if I do not remember, asking someone is a simple and easy task.
When finding a person to interview who graduated from college in the early to mid 1980s or earlier, I decided to interview my cousin, Erin. Erin is a very social person and maintains to interact with friends as well as family members often. However, Erin did not interact with her professors outside of the classroom as much as with fellow college peers. Referring to phone calls in the evenings, office visits, Erin did not nearly as much interact with professors during college as I would have guessed. Then, students used landlines, ask questions before and after class, or even make a formal meeting time with professors in order to keep in contact with them.
ReplyDeleteNow, we as college students expect immediate response via e-mail or even seeing a professor in their office. We rely much more on interaction outside of the classroom. You can easily email a professor asking them to be available and then late, that same day, you will meet with the professor. Students tend to ask more questions now-a-days because it is easier to communicate with such an elite individual via email rather than face-to-face. As a result, though, the amount of questions increased since the 70s/80s.
Compared to how often my friends and I communicate with our professors, Erin did very little to pursue professor-student relationships. She performed well in college; however, this accomplishment was completed with little interaction with professors and teacher aides. Surprisingly, I would not be able to succeed as well if I did not communicate and stay in contact with professors throughout the semester. It is so accessible for us as college students to send an e-mail to a professor or to stop by a professor’s office to have a few moments of a social interaction. I do not usually call my professors on their office phone, leaving voicemails, however, Erin, with the few times she would communicate outside of classroom with her professor, she would need to leave a voicemail for a professor, sometimes not hearing back until the next class period, when the answer was irrelevant, by that time.
Now, and even more so in the future, our students rely heavily on technology in order to succeed in school. Prime example: it is strongly recommended to have a laptop/desktop in your dorm room to type papers, complete assignments, and stay in contact with professors throughout each semester.
A critical theorist would have to say the workload of a professor and the impact of technologies on students heavily increases the workload. Technologies such as email, cell phone, and even internet sites like blackboard have made communication easier and more accessible; however, this increased the workload for the professor, needing to respond to e-mails daily. Professors may feel compelled to constantly work, especially if e-mail is one his/her cell phone. I have personally e-mailed professors over the weekend, and they willingly still respond. This is great for students today, having our professors available more often than not, however, could be stressful on a professor. We as college students need to retain so much information. Having our professors accessible by the click of the send e-mail button allows us to be more forgetful and rely more heavily on the knowledge and availability of our professors.
I had the opportunity to speak with Lou, who graduated from JMU in the early 80s. He mentioned how he rarely interacted with his professors outside of the classroom. Lou said that he knew he could call his professors on his land line phone and leave a message, but that he never did that. Come to think of it, I never actually call my professors either. I frequently e-mail them, but seldom do I call them. I could relate with Lou in regards to his apprehension in calling a professor and maybe having to leave a voicemail. I would prefer to just wait until I see my professor face to face rather than leave a voicemail. Lou said if he needed to reach his professor after class he would have to walk over to their office and see if they were in. If they were not in their office, he would sometimes leave a hand written note. He did explain his frustrations though because sometimes if he did not understand an assignment he knew he needed to ask questions far enough in advance so he had plenty of time to correct any parts of his paper or project that needed to be fixed.
ReplyDeleteThus, Lou believes that the increase in technology and frequency of communication between professors and students has led to an increase of procrastination—with both parties. Professors take advantage of e-mailing assignments to students last minute or cancelling class a half hour before, while students wait until a few hours before a project is due before they complete it. In Lou’s opinion, both parties rely too much on technology, because if something were to go wrong with their own personal computer or internet, they would be unprepared. Lou also thinks that frequency of communication between students and professors was better back in the 80s because it left room for less questions. He thinks it was better without so much technology, because now students can continue to carry on and ask repeated questions to professors about an assignment that was already thoroughly explained. Lou took more of a critical theorist point of view when discussing this topic with me. He seemed to overlook the advantages of technology (the easy access to internet with e-mail and cell phones) because he viewed technology as a constraint on both the professors and students. Technology diminishes the amount of time students and professors spend face to face, but increases the amount of time they spend “communicating”. Because of the rise in technology, a critical theorist would acknowledge the amount of time workers have to be alert.
In today’s society we are expected to respond almost instantaneously when someone sends us an e-mail or text message. A critical theorist would view this as oppression and constraint. The book also discusses how technology affects workers professional and personal lives. A critical theorist would be frustrated with technology because it increases the workload for professors (due to constant communication with students and the demand for quick responses to questions). As for students, a critical theorist would believe that technology would put a strain on their ability to interact with others face-to-face and prevent them from becoming competent communicators in a professional atmosphere. All in all, although technology has provided our society with the opportunity to be in constant communication with one another, it has constrained us because we are becoming more task-oriented rather than relationship-oriented.
The person I decided to talk to about their college experience was my mother, who graduated in the early 1980’s. Indeed, communicating with professors was a very different experience for her for obvious technology reasons. My mother, as it turns out, was very similar to me when it came interacting with her professors. She was sometimes timid, but meet with her professors to ask questions to clarify assignment or what was discussed in class. In general she would just meet with the professor before or after class. This is definitely very similar to how I interact with my professors, as I often don’t have the option of making it into office hours to talk to professor for other time commitments. However, more often than not, I choose to email my professors with questions, as it is a more comfortable formal medium for me to interact with others. My mother expressed that she would probably have done the same things so as not to have to vie for time with her professors. In this light it is easy to see that time has need to be re-allocated for both professors and students to spend time in their email accounts on a pretty much multi-daily basis. (More than just at one time during the day) In this way, more time probably goes into this Computer Mediated Communication since a normal back an forth sequence of questions would take longer to type, wait for the system to send, and respond than those that once could have occurred over the phone or in person when E-mail was not an option. This is certainly an issue when we view how the E-mail technology has become a part of the home life. It essentially increases the prescribed “office hours” a professors holds as a means for students to access them at almost any time of day. While it is certainly convenient to have a sense of 24-hour access to our professors, we must also consider the need for professor to maintain a life separate of the work world.
ReplyDeleteMy Aunt Ann attended The Ohio State University from 1980 to 1985, where she graduated with a degree in Engineering. Because she was extremely shy, she only interacted with professors one-on-one if she had a pressing question. However, she does recall the communication technology was very different in the early 80s, than it is today.
ReplyDeleteThe only way to communicate with professors outside of the classroom was to stop by their office, or call them using a land line type of phone. Ann does remember calling a professor one time, but had to wait until she got home before she could place the call. She said most of her interaction with professors was before or after class time since almost all of them would come to class early and stay a little late. Ann’s most memorable professor invited about 15 of her classmates to his house for dinner after class, which she thought was a surprising but very thoughtful act. To access grades, professors would post the grades outside of the classroom. In order to keep privacy, grades were listed by the last four digits of your SS number rather than your name.
Today, you can still contact teachers by stopping by their office or using a phone, but using a computer is more effective and efficient. Through email and Blackboard, students can ask questions, take tests, and turn in assignments at any hour of the day. Teachers can cancel class, post grades, and provide feedback any hour of the day as well.
Critical theorists would suggest that with the use of constant email between professors and students comes the expectation to be working and available for communication around the clock. This kind of logic can be oppressing for both the teacher and the student. The great thing about communication technology is that it makes interaction between student and teacher available outside of the classroom and even beyond the classroom when the pair would like to remain in the same network. However, the expectation is that the individual is always available, which then blurs the lines between work and home, making the balance of the two more difficult.
Most professors chose to include in their syllabus that the best way to reach them is through email. If professors want to work on balancing work and home life, they should emphasize that emails will not be replied to except during certain hours of the week. Critical theorists would say that this is similar to the way that management decides when to use technology so as it does not interrupt their power base. Students are busy with a full class schedule and extra-curricular activities, so it is convenient and more liberating to chose when they can email questions to their professor rather than physically go to his or her office.
Communication technology involves ongoing change within all organizations, including college campuses. It will be interesting to see how students and teachers continue to adapt to this “plugged in” lifestyle to fulfill expectations of their roles.
I spoke with my uncle who graduated from Providence College in the 80’s and the interaction between him and his professors and my professors and I are different. When he needed to contact his professor out of the classroom, he would have to go to their office hours or just hope they were still in their office when they needed help. If their professors were not at their office, they would leave a note under the door for them to read. Also, he didn’t have access to their home phone numbers nor did they have phone in their dorm room or a cell phone to use. Today, I feel that I communicate a lot with my professors outside of the classroom. The most commonly used forms of communication that I use is e-mail or face to face by dropping by their office hours. Professors are always in contact with students by e-mail and respond usually within 24 hours. E-mail was not a common form of communication when my uncle was in college so getting quick responses to a question was hard. Personally, I don’t use the phone to contact my professors but I have had professors who have given out their phone numbers for students to contact them.
ReplyDeleteThe use of technology has made it so much easier for students and professors to contact each other. I think that students are more comfortable with communicating with their professors due to the impact of technology. Since the communication technology is now so affordable, reliable, and accessible it means that people are more available to be contacted and their personal life and their work life do not have the separation like it used too. For example, students and professors are able to be reached at all hours of the day, and responses are usually expected due to the use of technology. The increased use of technology has its positive and negative aspects of it depending on how it is being used.
I interviewed my mother who graduated from Barton College in the mid eighties. She explained her experience with her professors to be very limited interaction. In order for her to speak with her professors she had to either talk with them before or after class or go to their office for more specific questions. She mentioned that she had a few professors that would give out their home phone numbers for after hour questions but she said that these professors were rare. I think that know definitely we communicate very much through email as our main means of communication with our professors. I know at least that if I have a question that I am going to email my professor before I try any other means of communication. As I spoke with my friends that said that they use email the most as well.
ReplyDeleteThe workload of professors has probably increased through the years with so many more individuals now going to college and so thus this makes use technology imperative. Technology has definably had a huge impact on our communication which has become so based on using the computer that without them I have no idea what I would do. This new reliance on technology has changed communication with our professors to more asynchronous opposed to synchronous.
In the early 70’s college was a very different place, students and professors didn’t really have a relationship outside the classroom. My dad attended Providence College and while he was an undergraduate he never talked to a professor outside of class. He told me, “back then it was a different time we didn’t have the technology that is available today.” Today we are able to get in contact with professors several different ways. By email, office hours, and usually several different phone numbers sometimes even a home phone number. However in the 70’s there were no cell phones nor Internet so the only way to get in contact would be calling a home phone number and my dad did not recall one teacher ever giving that number out. Apparently teachers also did not have office hours, and maybe did not even have an office on campus. If you wanted to talk to a professor you had to do it during class time.
ReplyDeleteIt is evident that technology advancements have had a huge impact on the relationships between professors and students. It is extremely easy to ask a teacher for extra help. You can visit an office during the day and call in the afternoon or even send a quick email anytime of day. Teachers are very quick with their responses and seem eager to help students with problems. My dad also stressed that he didn’t think teachers really cared to go the extra step and offer help outside class. He had several test and maybe a couple assignments, but was never given the chance to receive extra credit or help outside of class. He told me, “a grade was a grade, it was final you couldn’t do anything to fix that.” I feel now that teachers care more about their jobs and find it an extremely important to go above and beyond to really help and teach students. With office hours throughout the week as well as open door policies it is easy to see that the teachers at JMU really do care about their students.
I have talked to my father about life in university and his experiences are very different to mine for a number of reasons. The primary one is that he went to university in France where the culture is very different to what it is like here. There are none of the rites of passage and collective university events that exist in American Universities: Fraternities and Sororities do not exist, Universities are not represented by sports teams, and entertainment events are never really provided by the university to the student.
ReplyDeleteMy father always held a very formal relationship with his professors. He rarely ever communicated with them until he had some sort of issue turning an assignment in or if he knew he would be unable to attend a lecture. He said that there were no office hours, and you had to demonstrate a strong will to learn in class if you wanted to schedule a meeting with the professor to get clarification on some topic. If my father did have a problem or needed clarify something he would try to form a study group with his classmates or he would hire a tutor.
I am very much the same as my father. I rarely talk to my professors outside of class unless I really need to. I much prefer to figure some things out by studying textbooks and if I really have a problem with something then I ask my classmates for help. I do have a friend who holds casual conversations about the topic being discussed with his professors.
I definitely think that with office hours and phone calls, the workload of the professor has increased dramatically since the late 70’s. A critical theorist may say that this is unfair on behalf of the professor because they are giving up more of their time, but advances in technology has had a large impact on the expediency of these interactions. I think that a critical theorist may have a lot to say about the impact of technologies both for the students and professors, but one thing for sure is that that the students are benefiting from the readiness and availability of the professors. This is a good thing for the students because they can get instant information whenever they want. It is a bad thing for the professors because it puts them on the spot where they are forced to be available all day and late into the night.
I interviewed Mrs. Valarie Ghant, the Director of the Center for Multicultural Student Services, who graduated from the University of D.C. Mrs. Ghant’s described her interaction with professors as open, yet not as “warm and fuzzy”. Because her institution was set-up as a community college, she found it difficult to build any connection with her professors due to their scheduling of office hours. Majority of students either had families and most of the classes were at night.
ReplyDeleteDuring the interview, Mrs. Ghant and I discussed how communication with professors varies on the students’ cultural background and technology. Students attending HBCU communication with professors are found to be more relaxed and laid-back. The students find it easier to build a connection with their professors because of their understanding of their cultural background. African American students attending a predominately white institution, find it difficult creating a connection with their professors. Yet, this is also based on the students drive to reach out to their professors and create a connection with them. If a professor sees a student putting forth effort then they will be more willing to lend them a hand.
Technology also plays a major role in the communication with professors. When Mrs. Ghant was an undergraduate, she stated that they didn’t have the same advancement in technology that students have today. Their connections with professors were more personal because they actually met with them during their office hours. Students today have email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Students do not have the same face-to-face communication with their professors. Mrs. Ghant stated that this is a barrier for students today, because they don’t have to meet with their professor which causes them not to develop a connection. I believe otherwise. Technology has created other forms of communication. Students and Professors can now communicate via twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, email, etc. Professor still encourage students to attend their office hours and provide other resources on campus that they can access for assistance.
The professor’s workload has increased over years due to the increase in attendance. Technology can help professors stay organized but this could also damage them. The overload of email can cause professors to get behind in response.
For this blog I interviewed my mother who attended nursing school prior to the mid 1980's. When asked to describe her interaction with professors outside of the classroom she said that they were expected to make appointments to meet their professors in their office or wait until class. It was considered unprofessional to call them or show up unexpected to their office. Compared to my college experience this kind of teacher-student communication is quite different. While it is still many times considered rude to show up unexpected to teachers offices, many of mine and my friends professors have given out their personal phone numbers in case of emergency. For instance, I had a macro-economics professor who encouraged us to call him at home if we were having trouble with our homework. I took him up on this and when I did he would work with me over the phone until I understood the problem I was working on. Also, now a days if students have a question they do not have to wait until class. Students can easily e-mail them which is seen as less intrusive than a phone call.
ReplyDeleteViewed from a critical theorist perspective e-mail can add to the workload of professors. They are now expected to respond to e-mails in a timely manner which, compared to when my mom went to school, adds to their work outside of the classroom. Critical theorists would also point to the impact on students. While e-mail can be seen as positive for students because it allows for easier and more immediate access to professors, it can have negative effects in terms of the increased power it gives professors. Professors can e-mail students at any time to assign more work for instance. Students are expected to work in line with how professors use e-mail and check theirs regularly in case the professor decided to send an urgent message.
Most of my direct contacts with people who have graduated from college in the 1970’s and 1980’s would be my parents, aunts, uncles, and some cousins. I’d have to say the closest I could get to the mid-1980’s mark for graduation from a University would be my cousin, Doug Scott. He went to University of New Hampshire and played hockey for the school. I think this contributed a lot to how he did or focused on his studies. His expectations were not as high as mine were/are for myself now. It seemed to be he did what he needed to do to get by and continue playing hockey. However, he did mention he went to his professors occasionally for help. He made it clear though that contacting professors after hours was not a common occurrence. Stopping by the office and catching the professor at the right time was a best case scenario. He was also a different student than I consider myself to be. He often sat in the back of the class, which were mostly lecture style. He also took limited notes, if any. As a student at JMU I’ve always put forth my best effort when it came to my work, including sitting near the front of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs far as how he interacted with his professors out of the classroom, I’d say it was limited. As I mentioned before, he said he occasionally stopped by a professor’s office, but it would mostly be during the day. He also didn’t have to option of all the technology we have now to get into contact with that professor. However, I don’t think the demands of schoolwork were as great as they are now. It is much more competitive now than it was in the 1980’s. I think this is due partly to the fact that we have so many more options for communication other than just a telephone call. Today I would say I frequently email my professors to get feedback or ask a question. I have rarely if at all called a professor to get an answer or some help. I’d say I have definitely taken advantage of the technological advances we have today.
I think all in all dependence on technology and the guidance from professors has dramatically changed since the late 70’s and mid 80’s. This in turn causes professors to have more responsibility, which comes with increased work load. Included in this work load I think would be the responsibility on professors to respond to emails, phone calls, etc. in a timely manner. I’d like to think professors in today’s society invest a huge amount of time to their students and their work in order for the students to be successful. As I said before, I don’t think I’ve ever picked up the phone to call a professor, rather I send a quick email addressing my concern and set up a time to meet via the Internet. Students have taken advantage of these new technological ways of communication.
I had actually talked to my father. Although he didn't graduate from MU, he did graduate from college in the early 80's/ He told me that in order to get ahold of a professor, if he ever had a question or needed to discuss a grade, he would have to physically stop by the professor's office or attempt to call his professors over a landline telephone. He said that it was very frustrating trying to get ahold of his professors outside of the classroom because of the lag in time in which he would hear back from them. if they didn't answer the phone, he would have to leave a voicemail. If they weren't at their office, he would have to leave a note abd tgeb wait to talk to them at the next time the class met.
ReplyDeleteBecause of this lack of opportunities to communicate, he didn't communicate very often with his professors. Today, my friends and I always have the opportunity to have a constant flow of communication with our professors. If I ever have a question on an assignment or concerns about class, I can just shoot my professor an e-mail and then more than likely hear from them within the hour. Sometimes even the professors will give out their own personal cell phone numbers incase students have an emergency situation, say with an online test. The exchange in today's society is so quick compared to the 1980's.
I feel that a theorist would say that these technologies have impacted the students in a positive way. Getting help on an assignment or requesting to have a meeting has never been easier to arrange. Students have the ability ti di better ib assignments and improve their grades as well as build a better relationship with their professors. The workload on the professor's part however has increased since the 1980's because now they have that expectation to immediately respond to their student's and have that instant access. I feel that their is now more of a balance between teacher and student relationships.
I discussed professor-student communication with my father. He explained how growing up without computers and today’s technology communicating, for him, with his professors was very difficult. Being a shy student he would have loved to have email as a medium for communication as opposed to talking on the phone or in-person. He rarely communicated with his professors outside of class. He likes to hear that I am able to have such comfortable relationships with my professor since that is something that he was unable to experience, but feels is an important part of college life and can help further my education in ways other than just in-class discussion.
ReplyDeleteI communicate with my professors all the time through email and in person. I’ve never actually called my professors on the phone before. Personally, I find it awkward because I hate talking on the phone. I find in person communication much more comfortable and reliable. I am also very comfortable with email technology having pretty much grown up with it. I have even used g-chat to communicate with some professors.
I know that my friends within the Communication major have had similar experiences/thoughts about email and in-person communication. I feel this is because we have been trained on proper email etiquette and even encouraged to explore the expanding boundaries of technology. In addition, communicating is what we do and we have been taught to be comfortable with in-person communication. Moreover, most of the professors in the SCOM department are very approachable people. I know that friends in other majors are not as comfortable with email or in-person communication. Many just don’t even communicate with their professors at all.
With the workload of professors and the technology available email is so much faster. Professors tend to be on their computer all the time (at least with my experience) and the same goes for students. It seems to have become a norm to receive email responses within 24 hours (not including weekends when professors are at home with their families). I find it interesting that freshman year all my syllabi had the professors office phone on them and some even a home phone. However, many of my professors now don’t write it on. Instead they give multiple email addresses.
I asked my mom how often she was in contact with her professors and she said she was in contact with them often. Although she could not use email or a cell phone, she would meet with them during class or during their office hours. If she had to talk to them outside of that time, she would schedule it right after class was over.
ReplyDeleteIf she had to talk with them on the phone, she would use a land line instead of a cell phone. If classes were canceled, she would show up to a note attached to the door. Surprise! She said it was a hassle to have to wake up, but sometimes a relief to find out she could go back to bed a little longer before basketball practice.
I think I communicate with my professors more through email than I do in person. I have tried to have a better relationship with them other than through email. I think that it was easier in the 80's to have a more personal relationship just because people had to meet face to face a lot more. We take for granted using email and our cell phones now. It is just easier to write an email or to pick up the phone and call. These relationships are not as personal though and I think that our relationships may only get worse.
Now that I am further along in my major and minor, I have become closer to professors that I have had more than once or that I see often. It is nicer to have the same professors around to ask questions about what to do after school and to be on a more personal level with.
I think that technology has increased the workload of the professor tremendously. We as students expect professors to have grades up on blackboard as well as answer emails and make phone calls in a timely manner. Professor Clayton Johnson today was saying how his rating on ratemyprofessor.com has gone down due to his timely manner in putting grades up. We should not be giving a bad rating for a teacher because our grades are not put online quick enough. I think this is ridiculous.
I also think that technology is just making us less aware of our personal relationships with teachers and that we need to rely less on emailing and focus more on making an effort to go to office hours and speak to teachers face to face.
To complete this blog assignment, I interviewed an employee of James Madison University. She is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin and graduated in 1984. When I asked how she would describe her outside communication with her professor her response was “non- existent.” She explained that she attended a university with a population of 44,000 students per year. Her average class size for her general education courses consisted of 500 students. With that being said, if any communication was to occur, the student would have to initiate it. She stated that she was an excellent student in college thus she never really had a need to meet or talk with them outside of class. She did meet with her professors a few times during her undergraduate career and those interactions were brief although her professors were generally approachable. She stated that such interactions were informal although there was a clear distinction between the respect for the professor from the student and vice versa. She mentioned that many of her professors were foreigners and this could have contributed to the nature of their interactions as well.
ReplyDeleteIn comparison to my college experiences of communicating with my professors, our experiences are very different. When I entered college, I found it to be very challenging. With that in mind I visited my professors frequently. For some classes I met with my professor at least once a week. I have always been an over achiever as well and this is definitely one of the reasons why I met with my professors as often as I did. James Madison University is also relatively small in comparison to her college and my class sizes were significantly smaller. I am sure that this is also one of the reasons why I was able to meet with my professors. In addition to the meeting with my professor outside of class, my interviewee and I also differ in the way we communicated with our professors. Technology has advanced significantly since she was in school. I was afforded the opportunity to email my professors, sometimes text them, and with some of them I was involved in different extracurricular activities with them. However, she would often have to call her professor and would only be able to contact them if they were in their office. With technology today, my professors can email me a response relatively quickly through their blackberries and other technologies. I have also met with my professors informally to discuss personal issues or situations. This was not something she engaged in, and because of the number of students enrolled in her classes, something her professor had time to effectively engage in himself. Professors today are also more prone to initiate the outside communication with their students. Many of my professors email me at night. Some of them also like to be called by their first name which was not common for my interviewee. Some of my professors adopt informal roles personally, or through emails. They often anticipate the same type of response from students. Some of the similarities that were present in our experiences was the meeting place of our outside communication with our professors. Our professors also had office hours and would make an effort to see students outside of this time if need be.
Finally, a critical theorist would probably say that my professors are seeking to control me through technology and to enforce their power through such a medium. They would probably assert that the emails received at night are a way to enforce their power as professors. For example, by sending emails that could potentially be sent to student cell phones, they are always connected with the students. In this sense, they could send out an assignment and the students would not be able to be excused because they were notified. They might also assert that texting students is a way of oppressing students. The professors may to be pretending to be friendly with students but they are really only seeking to get good evaluations.