Virtual Schmirtual: Reflection on Class Online Chats

I really enjoyed the class on-line chats, but particularly the week 11 one, where we were all actually in the same classroom together as well as online together. I found it really hilarious when someone would type something funny and then certain people all around the room would start laughing out loud! (The 'copyright' chatroom was the cool place to be!) It negated the need for the LOL and ROFL acronyms, but we still used them!

It was an interesting way to discuss issues. In the week 12 chat, someone posed the question "do you feel more comfortable chatting online than you do in a normal tute situation"? For me, the answer was definitely yes. Despite having many opinions and being a reasonably confident speaker, there is still something I find so daunting about tutorial chats (even though I'm in third year, you's think I'd get over it). Online, I was able to express myself clearly, and with the anonymity (until outed by 'banksja'!), felt comfortable asking questions. I did think that having a slightly smaller group (as in week 11) made it easier than the larger group in week 12, purely because sometimes you're comments got lost up the chat-page when everyone was typing at once. I also thought it was interesting that our class seemed to develop 'in jokes' (I didn't know Courtney was from Texas?!) quite quickly online, a camaraderie we hadn't (and still haven't?) established nearly so much in the 'real' world.

Chatting together online whilst being together physically prompts me to think about the ol' online/offline dichotomy. I do think that the supposed separation of the two is overrated, and for me, the most fun is had when they merge.

I really enjoyed the chats, and they should remain an important part of the course in the future. But no more outing, banksja!