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kamiakin
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« on: June 03, 2009, 01:49:16 PM » |
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I don't know if a link in a question will work so here is the CHE article: http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i38/38a01001.htm . I must admit I used to do this all the time when teaching 160+ students online each semester. My sock puppet students were used to spur the discussion boards. I had a whole sock drawer full of them in fact, with different personalities. One would post controversial statements, another things that were obviously wrong and easy to shoot down, a third would always do the extra reading and have an interesting post about it. What about you guys--ever do this? |
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svenc
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« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2009, 02:07:38 PM » |
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I create fake students for my bricks-and-mortar classes.
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In foris veritas.
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fiona
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« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2009, 02:14:40 PM » |
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I wish I could create fake students and substitute them for some of the "real" ones.
I don't teach online, but I think the idea of having sock puppet students is great.
The Fiona
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The Fiona or perhaps La Fiona
Professor of Thread Killing, Fiork University
The Right Reverend Fiona, PhD, Bishop of the Fora
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johnr
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« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2009, 02:52:26 PM » |
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Interesting. I'll be teaching my first online course this summer (holy crap, why didn't someone warn me about the start-up costs!?). I'm definitely going to have a couple of "agent provocateur" sock puppets.
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"When I die, I hope it's in a committee meeting. The transition from life to death will be barely perceptible."
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pocksuppet
Anthony Kiedis made me famous by wearing me on his
Senior member
Posts: 305
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« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2009, 03:07:42 PM » |
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Absolutely not. The very idea is reprehensible.
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Of course I'm cranky. Somebody's hand is up my ass!
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dept_geek
SPAF by decree, documentor of local meetups, and
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 7,634
through a glass darkly....
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« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2009, 03:56:11 PM » |
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I do, but mine don't participate. They listen. And receive the "students only" emails. Boring puppets.
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I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code. When in doubt, add chocolate.
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sad_goat
Nothin' but love for ya
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 2,610
Requiring tolerance from the tolerant every day.
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« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2009, 04:07:15 PM » |
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Who has the energy to do that? My students usually don't even respond to me, let alone some shadow smarty-pants/doofus that gets up in their grill.
YMMV
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In other words, it is a moral and philosophical question, not a question of details.
...it is proper to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties. - James Madison |
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johnr
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« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2009, 05:00:00 PM » |
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Who has the energy to do that?
Seriously? You're asking people who've chalked up 100's, if not 1000's, of posts to this internet forum, "Who has the energy" to create a fake online student?" |
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"When I die, I hope it's in a committee meeting. The transition from life to death will be barely perceptible."
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helpful
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« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2009, 05:13:27 PM » |
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(holy crap, why didn't someone warn me about the start-up costs!?).
What kind of startup costs? |
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bacardiandlime
Ninja
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 3,257
That makes me more gangster than you
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« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2009, 05:19:12 PM » |
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Reading the article, I liked the idea of the 'obviously fake' student to spur discussion. But the real-seeming fake student: I thought that was creepy and something of a betrayal. While I realise that class discussions are not "private", to trick students into corresponding (such as by emails going to "students only") with someone they think is a fellow student and is actually one of their teachers, I don't agree with that.
In a brick and mortar class, going for coffee after class or talking in the hallway allows students to build friendships and discussions with their classmates. In the online learning environment, "students only" emails etc are the way for them to do that. Making students concerned about who is eavesdropping on their conversations is not fair.
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« Last Edit: June 03, 2009, 05:21:38 PM by bacardiandlime »
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YOU ARE NASTY
Go jump in lake!
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concordancia
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« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2009, 05:24:47 PM » |
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I do, but mine don't participate. They listen. And receive the "students only" emails. Boring puppets.
Same here. My fake students show me what the students see so that I can walk them through the steps; try out new assessment methods (the documentation doesn't tell me whether "multiple correct answers" to multiple choice questions means that they can mark any of the correct answers or must mark them all); show me how things will work once the students start turning in assignments so that I can figure out the most efficient way to organize the CMS site... |
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I like money. I like to buy stuff and experiences with money.
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sad_goat
Nothin' but love for ya
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 2,610
Requiring tolerance from the tolerant every day.
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« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2009, 05:25:39 PM » |
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Who has the energy to do that?
Seriously? You're asking people who've chalked up 100's, if not 1000's, of posts to this internet forum, "Who has the energy" to create a fake online student?" Yup. Here, I need not: a. Act respectfully b. Make sense c. Answer if I don't want to d. Lie e. Or engage in many other energy-sucking, calculated actions. |
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In other words, it is a moral and philosophical question, not a question of details.
...it is proper to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties. - James Madison |
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madhatter
We proudly present the fora's Least
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 5,673
Just killing time
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« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2009, 06:44:37 PM » |
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I think deliberately deceiving students falls in the category of 'things not to do.'
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"I may be an evil scientist, but it doesn't take a degree purchased from the Internet with your ex-wife's money to know how special and important you are to me." -- Dr. Doofenschmirtz
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johnr
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« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2009, 08:34:19 PM » |
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Who has the energy to do that?
Seriously? You're asking people who've chalked up 100's, if not 1000's, of posts to this internet forum, "Who has the energy" to create a fake online student?" Yup. Here, I need not: a. Act respectfully b. Make sense c. Answer if I don't want to d. Lie e. Or engage in many other energy-sucking, calculated actions. Or have a sense of humor. |
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"When I die, I hope it's in a committee meeting. The transition from life to death will be barely perceptible."
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notaprof
Not a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 11,084
This space for rent
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« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2009, 08:37:54 PM » |
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Who has the energy to do that?
Seriously? You're asking people who've chalked up 100's, if not 1000's, of posts to this internet forum, "Who has the energy" to create a fake online student?" Yup. Here, I need not: a. Act respectfully b. Make sense c. Answer if I don't want to d. Lie e. Or engage in many other energy-sucking, calculated actions. Or have a sense of humor. Are you suggesting that a fake student would have to do A,B,C or E? If you didn't want to arouse suspicion, your fake student could do nothing. Then no one would suspect him/her to be a fake. Not much energy required for that. |
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"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone.
"When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."
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