Learning Journal Reflections 15 February 2013

Forum postings in general

• I find it difficult to engage properly in the forums because of the volume of posting. 
• I feel it’s important to enter into conversations, but it’s like going into a room where a lot of quite complex conversations are going on at the same time, so you have to do a lot of work to read every post and try and re-order in your mind what, if anything, you are going to do to respond to any of them.
• I’m aware that a lot of my concern, at least initially, is in crafting what I want to say, so I’m not really properly tuning in to what other people are saying and giving them a proper, considered response.
• I also fear that if I do give them a proper, considered response, it will extend a conversation that I won’t have time to continue.
• There’s an overarching pressure to press ahead and leave a particular activity as ‘done’ - a worry about too much delay stopping one from keeping up with the course.
• It also feels a bit depressing when you do try to draw out a conversation and it peters out, or people don’t respond - I try to rationalise that other people may be feeling the same pressure to press on with the newer activities.
• The feeling of being a bit behind is depressing - if you start an activity and the thread is already full of posts and you feel most people have finished it, it feels like a real schlep to even start the activity.
• It’s also quite intimidating when different people seem a lot more familiar with some tools and technologies - like Doodle and wikis.

On the plus side, it is enormously gratifying and encouraging when anyone writes a response or a note of acknowledgment or appreciation at something one has posted. Makes me realise how important it is to be encouraging to each other.


Tasks requiring collaboration and coming up with a shared view

• I’m aware that I have a default reluctance to do these tasks as they sound like a lot of hassle to do online in an asynchronous forum.
• I guess this is because I haven’t properly experienced the tools available, like wikis.
• I don’t mind pressing ahead with this and trying because hopefully I’ll learn how to make it easier to collaborate online.
• Note that a lot of people have defaulted to an online skype chat or Elluminate chat - suggests that many of us prefer real-time face-to-face communication whenever there is something móre complex to agree.

Complexity of tasks

• There is easy value to be had from hearing different people’s views and perspectives and taking them in.
• The moment something requires more focus from me to change my behaviour, I find it much harder to engage with a written posting.
• For example, someone may mention a particular app or tool that they use - I find the thought of exploring that for myself a bit tedious, I would much rather have someone hold my hand and show me, I think it would be a lot quicker and easier. (‘Click that icon…now you can type in here…..now press that icon…’etc).