(in reply to a classmate)
While I agree that there are some classrooms that aren’t worth the time to sit in, I have certainly learned well in most that I’ve had the opportunity to sit through, but my MI scores being high on the visual/audio + kinaesthetic (note-taking) make this of little surprise.
When it comes to the interactivity, however, sometimes it’s not what happens in class that’s important. Sometimes that interactivity comes after class, on the walk to the next session, back to the dorms, over coffee with books, or in an all-night research and paper writing blitz (those were my Saturday nights!) in someone’s living room/kitchen while we tried to synthesize and get insight from others on what we were thinking about.
I wonder, too, if some of the weaknesses of forming community and having these discussions with our online peers is that it’s less convenient – there’s a computer and Internet connection in the way – and so those extra steps are a barrier to engagement. It’s just easier to to go online for the essential posting and reading and be done with it. What doesn’t happen in that moment doesn’t happen; it’s hard to have conversations over coffee or while preparing a meal when I have to engage my hands to have that conversation.
Having a local friend who’s also studying has been helping. We’re meeting in person when possible, but then have appointments to meet via live chat when not for two hours three times a week. Our goal is to complete 4 pomodoros (work sessions of 25 minutes with 5 minute breaks, a la Pomodoro Technique), and in the breaks talk about how they went, making sure to hold each other accountable to the work, but also getting the chance to talk about what we’re learning and thinking about. For people like me who crave that Interpersonal contact, it’s been great. For people like my professors who want to see my engagement and learning, maybe not so much. 😉
