The Individual Self

The main (and obvious) difference between traditional classroom courses and online courses is the lack of face to face interaction in an online setting. Initially, my thoughts were that a traditional classroom is the best place to get to know someone. I think that it’s so interesting to just watch people. I like to sit back and imagine what others are thinking. By watching their body language I can tell that the student that rushes into class late with a stressed expression has not been having the best day, verses the laid back student who strolls into class late every day, like they haven’t a care in the world. I used to crack up in my head watching girls who came to an eight AM class “all dolled up”. Who were they dressed up for? The class was 99% female, including the teacher! Then, I thought about online classes again. The first assignment of every online class I’ve ever had has been to introduce myself to the class. Interesting, huh? I’ve never had the opportunity to express my likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests to a class in a traditional setting.
While online classes do not provide the same opportunities for others to form opinions about others, it is interesting to think about what we can learn about someone without ever “seeing” them. I got a chuckle out of Goffman’s reference to the “dorm girl” in his writing “Presentation to Self”. He tells about how girls might arrange for phone calls to be made in order to appear popular when their name is called over the intercom system. While that particular example is a little outdated, the example still holds true in today’s world. People continue to use the phone, and now txting, to appear to be important, needed or popular. Phone’s are left a top students desks not so that they can check the time, but so that they don’t miss a message. It has become a status symbol to constantly have your phone lighting up with friends who just can’t get enough of talking or texting with you. I myself am guilty of making the assumptions that the girl (because let’s face it, it usually is a girl) who’s phone vibrates throughout the entire class has many friends to talk to. Without that in-person interaction however, my assumption would never be made. Whether it’s right or wrong for me to make my judgments, without seeing that person in a physical setting I would never have the opportunity to form that kind of opinion.
Overall, do I think that one class form is better than the other? No. There are many pros and cons to each classroom style. I think that it’s very important for students to have face to face interaction with their teacher and each other, but I also think that it’s important for each student to have the opportunity to be heard. I know that in a traditional classroom setting there is never a time for a student to reflect, revise and state their personal opinion. The class is centered on getting to know the professor and the text material, no other time is allotted. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to read my classmates ideas and opinions through an online setting. I want to know how they answered the homework questions and what they thought about the readings. Class shouldn’t be just all about what I think and then whether the teacher agrees to give me full credit or not.