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[octoprof]

Students post some of the oddest things on discussion boards.

In all my online and hybrid classes, I ask them to introduce themselves, including major, previous experience with learning (traditional and online), approximate planned date of graduation, and expectations for the course. They are also supposed to post a photo, some of which are hilarious and, occasionally, inappropriate.

This semester, in my upper level required-for-majors course, I read these gems (names and locations altered).

• My name is <Stu Dent>. I am an Accounting major. I graduate when the school says I have met all requirements. I detest online courses. That is all.
  • Tell us how you really feel, Stu...
• Hey everyone! I am Suzy Student, business admin major, and I'm graduating this May. I am very excited to have my degree completed in just a few months. I am not a fan of accounting, but hope to do well in this class. I have taken several full online courses, as well as some hybrid courses, and tend to do well in them. Good luck to everyone!
  • No idea why Suzy signed up for this upper level accounting course if she is not a fan of accounting.
• My name is <accounting major>. I am 23 years old from <nearby state>, but currently live in <university town>. I failed this class last semester so hopefully I can focus more on it this semester. I have a daughter that is about to turn 2 years old she keeps me very busy. I like to hunt and fish when I have time. I currently work for <food company> at <casino>, where I am a Administrative Assistant. That is about all besides I am an Accounting Major.
  • Well, let's just tell all the other students you've failed this accounting class before, Mr. Accounting Major?
• So, my name is Mary Jones. I'm a Senior, again. I've been trying to finish my Accounting degree for two years now and am finally getting closer to being done. This is my second attempt at this class, hopefully this time I'll understand things a little better. My proposed graduation date is December 2012. I have taken several online classes now, and although I don't think I will ever get used to the format, I am becoming much better at them :)
  • Again, why announce your prior failures to the whole class? And, if you don't like online courses, why not take this one last semester when it's not online?
• Hi! I am Jane Doe.  I am an accounting/business admin major.  I have taken one other fully online course, Workplace Communication.  I took this class last semester but didn't make it past the first test.  This time around I am more prepared.
  • At least Jane had the sense to drop last semester...
• Hi i'm Buddy. I don't have much experience with full online courses other than hybrids. I'm not a big fan of them. I'm graduating Spring 13. I expect that there will be enough detail in the online lectures to explain the material. I plan on getting an A in this class. Hope the rest of you do too.
  • Buddy earned an F in the non-online version of this course last semester. At least he's an optimist!

In contrast we have

• I am a nontraditional student and I will be graduating this Christmas.  I am an accounting major.  I am looking forward to this class and I am so happy it is now full online.
  Joe Happy
  • I haven't yet met Joe, but I like him already.
• My name is Kant Schpell. I am excited for the future and the hidden secerets that we shall learn through our Journey of Accounting.
  • Mr. Schpell, by the way, earned a C in the comparatively easy prerequisite course that everyone in business takes.

Fortunately, the rest of them are mostly just ordinary.

So, any interesting discussion board posts in your courses?

[geonerd]

Last year in a traditional face to face class I experimented with online components to explore if my course would be feasible as a hybrid.  In the first online discussion I asked each student to make a first post describing their prior experience with online or hybrid format, and where are they physically located right now as they participate in this online discussion. This post stuck in my memory:

• It is cloudy where I. Please meeting tonight is be canceled."

Doctoral Student Who Complained Every Time I Sent Her to the Writing Center and Who Wonders Why Some Faculty Question Her Work Ethic

[yemaya]

I had one who wrote a 300+ word introductory post talking about the 40 different activities he was involved in, every accomplishment since junior high (what no elementary school), every are in which he thought he was talented (a dozen or so) and how he was a really good student and he expected an A in the class.  Stu Dent predictably lost momentum by the end of the first module and failed the course.

[zombie_librarian]

Got one today: "I don't really know how to respond to these posts."

Yes, it was a difficult one for discussion. That's why I posted examples, in a post titled "How to Respond to Posts This Week." Or she could have, I don't know, looked at how the other students were responding. Everyone else figured it out.

[prof_cj]

Got one today: "I don't really know how to respond to these posts."

Yes, it was a difficult one for discussion. That's why I posted examples, in a post titled "How to Respond to Posts This Week." Or she could have, I don't know, looked at how the other students were responding. Everyone else figured it out.

I get this one all the time. I'll periodically remind students who bring that up that questions to help them start their discussions and understandings and papers are in the book after the reading itself. Now I have to constantly announce it in the syllabus.

Lately I've started responding w/something I stole from a fellow forumite, the whole "It's not my job to hold your hand through every single thing, you have a responsibility here as well to try as hard as you really can" response.

[nightadjunct]

bookmarking

[prof_cj]

Got one today: "I don't really know how to respond to these posts."

Yes, it was a difficult one for discussion. That's why I posted examples, in a post titled "How to Respond to Posts This Week." Or she could have, I don't know, looked at how the other students were responding. Everyone else figured it out.

I get this a lot in my online courses. Which is why I have to periodically send them all mass-emails reminding them to look at the "how to respond" and "consider this question when responding" attachments to each reading and lesson.

Sigh...there is NOT enough coffee...

[jpson50]

Got one today: "I don't really know how to respond to these posts."

Yes, it was a difficult one for discussion. That's why I posted examples, in a post titled "How to Respond to Posts This Week." Or she could have, I don't know, looked at how the other students were responding. Everyone else figured it out.

I get this a lot in my online courses. Which is why I have to periodically send them all mass-emails reminding them to look at the "how to respond" and "consider this question when responding" attachments to each reading and lesson.

Agreed.. not enough coffee. Perhaps a coffee IV drip?!

Sigh...there is NOT enough coffee...

[kaysixteen]

You would make a student slave on a computer when it was a cloudy day in her town?  You martinet.

BTW, Buddy probably feels that the online version of the class will be intrinsically much easier.  Best to disabuse him of this notion forthwith.

[octoprof]

BTW, Buddy probably feels that the online version of the class will be intrinsically much easier.  Best to disabuse him of this notion forthwith.

Amen.