What do you do when you have a person who contributes inappropriate postings to the whole group discussions? Below is an example of a post by this student. The person is often off topic in the discussions, typically sharing her challenges with the course and sometimes with broadcasting personal attacks. It really changes the tone of the discussions. Your comments are appreciated.
Student Post:
This discussion with teaming reminds me of my own experiences. I sometimes don't feel included in my team in this course. Honestly, I feel like they sometimes don't listen to what I have to say, and they gang up on me. It's like two against one.
Who would be responsible for delegating those team roles? I know that in my experiences in face to face PD no one wants to volunteer to take on the responsibility of doing anything. Most of us feel that we already have too much to do. And when someone does end up delegating those roles how to they hold those people responsible for their part? In a class setting its much easier because we get a grade, but what if it is a school system thing? How can you make it interesting and important enough for the teachers to actually do their part with substance?
-Facilitator Trying to be Tactful
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I think in this situation it would be best to speak to this student individually. Clearly she is having problems with her team and she may be feeling frustrated and unable to do something about it. This may be causing her to “act-out” by broadcasting her issues to the whole class in hopes that someone will help her. Finding out exactly what is going on with her and her team may be a good start to getting her back into a more positive frame of mind. The other thing that should be discussed with her is proper netiquette (http://online.uwc.edu/technology/onlEtiquette.asp). Also, when responding in the whole group forum the instructor may want to choose to play the mediator, helping to keep the peace by acknowledging pieces of her post that can be related to the topic (while emphasizing other people’s on task, positive comments) and then redirecting the dialogue away from the negative and off task comments made by this student and refocus them back on the original topic.
ReplyDelete-Julie
Julie - You're post is very well written. This student seems to have a negative attitude and I agree that speaking 1:1 is a good approach. I imagine personalities don't always mix well and there are times when teams don't have that chemistry, but it could be true that her team doesn't listen to what she says, because they're trying to tune out the negatives. The mediator approach is a good call.
ReplyDeleteI too agree the one to one approach would be a good way to approach this problem. This particular student may need to know that he/she can come to the instructor first when they are experiencing some sort of problem within the class. Along with approaching this particular student, the teacher should also remind the entire class that they are available if there are issues coming up pertaining to the class. The "open door" policy is one that many appreciate and in this instance the student needs to know that the instructor is there to support them.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, a person who is publically venting personal issues really needs to have someone "hear" them first so they can then participate in changing their behavior. I would then reference their constant negative comments and then look to them for a solution. The message may be something like this:
ReplyDeleteHi XXXX,
I’ve noticed recently that your comments in class have expressed some strong feelings about online learning and you are looking to the class to find a personal solution. I can understand there can be many frustrations involved in working within an online environment that is very different from a face-to-face situation. I too have struggled with the changes in the online roles as a student and as a facilitator. Rather than ask the class to solve these individual struggles, I would like to keep the class discussions a constructive work area and focused on a positive tone where we find solutions together as a group and become teachers for each other. This would involve staying positive within the topic specified with every member focused on sharing solutions.
I would really enjoy working together with you to find some solutions to your frustrations in the online environment. Let’s look at the last post you made about team roles. What would be a better way to assign these roles within a group? What role could you take when you are faced with this dilemma the next time you are in training? It can be frustrating to stay positive when you are not getting a grade, but that positive attitude can give you a more creative and positive role in your school too. It may even be better than getting a grade! I would love to hear your solutions. Input from students is one of my greatest learning experiences.
I look forward to your solutions,
XXXXXXX
I completely agree with everyone above about the one on one interaction to help the student. Ann, I love the email, it is very well written!
ReplyDeleteOne thing that needs to be addressed is the fact that this is posted and the rest of the class has seen this response. It can't be ignored, it may have negative repercussions. Other students may begin to vent or the team may get defensive.
I'm not sure of the best way to address this with the group. I can imagine that if I was in this situation, I would ask some of my colleagues for help also.
I agree with Julie about playing mediator, focusing on the positive and redirecting the topic. This is also a time to explain to the class that the instructor is available to help when there is a problem or concern.
If I had the student who was airing team trouble in the group forum, I would contact the individual to get to the source of the problem. I would share that the whole group discussion forum is not the place to discuss team issues. I would ask her to remove her post. Then, I would ask the team to come up with a resolution to the problem/s. If I had not done so, I would assign team roles and ask the students to develop a fair rotation of roles schedule.
ReplyDeleteUntil the problem that the student is experiencing is understood,it is difficult to know how best to resolve it.
Barb
I think it would be important for a facilitator to initiate a personal discussion with this student. The goal is to make sure that the posts are applicable to the topic...not merely to discuss previous uncomfortable experiences. By establishing a relationship with this student, the facilitator is able to foster an environment of growth while also addressing the requirements of each post. Refocusing this student is clearly the approach I would take. In doing so, it is important to open the lines of communication so that the concerns of this student are addressed while also promoting appropriate use of the discussion forum.
ReplyDeleteAG