Yes, that is my feeling when I am doing something new. As this blogging thing including mastering a new kind of online service (this blog site). It takes longer time to write, to think and to conduct the movements working with this OLN course compared to my normally assignments. However, It’s a good thing not to solidify but constantly challenge my weaknesses. Interestingly (or ironically?), I actually wrote a PhD theses on the cyber bullying topic, yet, I know more about the “cyber space” theoretically than practically…

I haven’t been using OLN that much in teaching, yet. What I have been trying to do is to make a “live” Canvas (learning platform) for my students. By live I mean adding to the “normal” lectures other stuff that can inspire them, enhance their learning and see how it it possible to work in different ways. I once had a teacher in regression analysis that empathized the saying that we all learn in different ways; by text (reading and writing), pictures and visualizing… I try to adopt his way of learning by using different ways of inspire students including pod casts, pictures, quizzes, films, link to films etc. Hence, I am trying to use OLN to “paint” the picture.  However, I do not attain this course without a goal. I will have online courses in the near future so my goal is to be an inspiring and self-confident online teacher.

So for this topic 1 we were divided in groups. I think we all experienced that it is not that simple to work in a group when everybody were located in different places. Discussions in groups are not that simple. It is difficult when you don’t see your colleagues faces and mimic. In addition, talk a language you don’t use everyday. However, in the end I think we did it very well. Next time will be easier.

When I have lectures about cyber bullying (and I often do), I always refer to one theory by Suler (2004). Which is the “online disinhibition effect”. This is a theory explaining why some people do and say things online that they would not say in the “real” world. The reasons is (according to the theory) that we tend to be harsher against other online because mainly  1) we think we are invisibilie 2) DISSOCIATIVE ANONYMITY meaning we don’t see each other’s facial expressions and are thereby become more anti-empathic, 3) ASYNCHRONICITY i.e. our actions are not seen in real time. It could also be that we draw conclusion upon others that are not true. With that said, I think there is a good reason to have the camera on when we use online group sessions as a tool.

 

references

Suler (2004) The online disinhibition effect. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIOR. vol7. 3