Humanizing the Distance Classroom

Much has been written about the impersonal aspects of distance education.  You get your syllabus with the calendar and the assignments pre-planned and ready to go.  The discussion questions are posted along with required readings.  You do your work on time and you might get a comment or two to one of you "discussion" board comments.  You then do a research paper or two and then you pick up your B+ and go on about your life.  This is, unfortunately, the perception that most have about distance education courses.  The challenge in designing these courses is to add the humanizing aspect of a face-to-face course with the flexibility of an any time, any place course.

In Distance Education - A Systems View, Michael Moore and Greg Kearsley made a list of the instructors role in conducting a teleconference.  I found the list to be quite good and not  for a teleconference alone but rather for an entire distance education course.  Humanizing the teleconference was the first point which made me think about ways that a distance course can be humanized.

#1:  Pictures - I think pictures say a lot.  I am currently in a course and I don't know what anyone looks like.  I don't know if they are young or old.  I don't know their ethnicity.  I don't know much about them at all other than a brief bio that was placed on a get-to-know-you discussion post.  One picture can go a long way in humanizing a distance course.

#2: Synchronous Sessions -  I know this is sometimes difficult but hearing the instructors voice and communication style can help make the distance course come  alive a little.  They are sometimes hard to plan but if you offer different sessions at different times and make them fairly casual they can really increase the human feel.

#3:  Flexibility -  Distance courses are so scripted.  I understand why but some impromptu discussion on a new technology or topic is sometimes necessary to make the students feel that they are not simply completing a check list.  For example, if I were teaching a distance Political Science course today, I could not avoid the revolutions in Egypt or Libya.  I would need to change an assignment or create a synchronous session for a Socratic seminar.  Flexibility could add a little human touch.

Enjoy a little Human Touch from the Boss!