Ann writes

The Screen is Flat

We are here at the MERLOT International Conference 2008 in Minneapolis, preparing for the presentation Becky Hines, Fritz Nordengren and I will give tomorrow in the Reinventing Libraries track. The title of the talk is “The Screen is Flat” (hat tip to Becky for this creative take on the popular book). We have had fun brainstorming around this idea for the past few months, and I thought I would spend some time reflecting on my personal take on the topic….

This is my life, looking at a flat screen for several hours a day, trying to create a living breathing course that transcends that screen. I struggle to stay fresh, and I remind myself that there are dozens of people, all individuals, staring at their screen for hours too. I try to imagine them logging on at midnight after the kids in are bed, squeezing in a few minutes at lunch, or working at a coffee shop.

I try to imagine what my students or peers see when they log on. Is it inviting or cluttered? Is it cold, or warm? Is it a level playing field or a black hole? Is it conducive to finding information, or a barrier? Some of this is limited by the learning management system, but even the most basic system allows for the creation of a community. Sometimes the bells and whistles get in the way.

I try to keep in mind that from the students’ standpoint, they can not differentiate our roles like we do….IT/library/teacher/whomever…and strive to make the delivery as seamless as possible. That takes building relationships with my colleagues behind the screen…sometimes through emails, often in (repeated) F2F meetings where we hash out the details. I try to remember that the screen is only a conduit, not a destination. Sometimes that is hard when I stare at the screen for hours with red, tired eyes.

Wow, I just realized this sounds more like a laundry list of chores than a passion for online teaching/learning! Well, yes and no. It is hard work (contrary to the misconception of many who have not taught on line “must be nice to work a few hours a week in your PJ’s”). But I love what I do, and am constantly amazed at the community and relationships that can be created through the flat screen.

It’s a thrill to meet a student face to face at graduation and see the pride in their eyes on acheiving a degree made possible only by the flat screen. I love the rapid ever, evolving opportunities created by the online environment. I love the challenge of the life-long learning aspect. After more than 10 years of teaching on the flat screen, I am more energized and excited than ever, and feel like we have just scratched the surface. I intend to keep growing and sharing and adapting for years to come. Who knows, maybe someday the screen will no longer be flat.

Tags: MERLOT, online, teaching