DE Oracle @ UMUC

Managing Student Expectations of Your Class

George Harding

Adjunct Faculty

Graduate School of Management and Technology

Published: 0 2004

Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies

This text and the linked documents are offered here for use by other UMUC faculty, if they wish, with appropriate editing for their own particular classes and teaching styles.

ADMN640 (or PRPA602, etc.) is a rigorous and demanding class designed to improve your skills and abilities. To accomplish the objectives of the class, you will be expected to:

• Contribute meaningful, insightful discussion in the weekly conferences
• Fully participate in a study group
• Develop a project
• Express your knowledge in the exams

The items listed below are posted in the [Syllabus, Course Content, Conferences, and/or Webliography] areas of this classroom to introduce you to this course and to articulate my expectations, so that everyone understands how this particular classroom functions.

• APA Guidelines
• Class Schedule
• Evaluating Resources
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Myths About Taking Online Classes
• Quality Responses
• Read Me First (link to page maintained by Center for Support of Instruction (CSI) for instructor use as-is)
• Syllabus
• Using TFE (Text Format Editor) for Responses
• Using HTML for Responses

As you read my responses to your assignments or to your postings in the Conferences, you will get a feel for the way in which I guide discussion. My objective is to spur you to think more deeply, critically, and creatively than you might otherwise.

In this class, I would like your conference postings to stimulate the thinking of your classmates. If all you had to do to master the material was read text and lecture notes in the subject area, I could just mail you the materials and send a test when you completed the readings. However, there is an important reason why we use the technologies that allow us to come together electronically to learn: knowledge emerges from intelligent dialogue, not just with your instructor but with your peers. My hopes are that in this class, together, we will generate the kinds of conversations that add value to the learning experience. As you write your thoughts in the conferences, question if you are adding value to the discussion.

Each instructor has his or her own style. I like to ask challenging questions in order to get you to examine your responses more critically and make your arguments clearer and/or more concise. My comments may appear pointed, as I try to show you potential weaknesses with your arguments and other alternatives that should be considered. I encourage you to do the same with me and with your classmates. However, please,

• Remember that critical discourse is civil, well-informed, and argues for or against an idea or point, not a person.
• Don't interpret critical questions/comments to mean that your responses are wrong, that I don't like them or you, or that your classmates don't like or don't respect you.

Don't get distracted by the confrontational connotations of arguments. The more we help each other think critically/objectively, the more we will obtain from the discourse. The more controversial the topic, the more learning that takes place.

In a f2f (face-to-face) class, we would be expected to discuss and argue intelligently about the readings and related topical issues for three hours a week. That is also a good guideline the time you should spend reading and participating in our online class discussions.

As graduate students you are expected to be able to explain your positions eloquently. Organization of your thoughts and clear statement of the evidence for your claims is absolutely essential. For an excellent resource on argumentation (essentially every point that you make is an argument), you might want to learn about the Toulmin model of rules of rational argumentation.

To maintain a level of readiness required for discussion, you should be reading as much as possible. In addition to assigned readings, at a minimum, you should read:

1. A major daily newspaper
2. At least one news magazine per week
3. Professional journal(s), to keep abreast of changes, current concerns in your profession
4. Best-selling business books, to keep abreast of evolving management theory

In addition to supplementing your thinking, you will find that reading also helps your writing.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns after reading the introductory materials, please post them in the Week 1 Discussion Conference on "Class Expectations". Also, please comment on the value of this material, any changes that may make it more valuable to you, and what you expect to gain from this class. Open, honest discourse is critical to the graduate learning experience.