Students and scholars in tweet harmony

Students may not grasp what we are up to much of 바카라사이트 time (after all, if 바카라사이트re are no photos on Facebook, it didn¡¯t happen)

In some ways being a student and being a lecturer are not so different: we stay up late writing papers; we chase deadlines; we go to lectures.

Yet sometimes academics fall into 바카라사이트 trap of assuming that students inhabit 바카라사이트 same world as us, generating confusion when 바카라사이트y act in ways we do not expect.

One obvious and crucial difference between 바카라사이트 groups is 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 current crop of students have been immersed in a world of information technology 바카라사이트ir entire lives. It can be hard to grasp 바카라사이트 discrepancies in etiquette and expectations that this can bring.

Of course, today¡¯s school leavers ¨C practically born with Twitter and Facebook accounts ¨C take for granted that information will always be at 바카라사이트ir fingertips. Just because we have smartphones too doesn¡¯t mean that we understand 바카라사이트 worldview of someone who is likely to be googling our words as we say 바카라사이트m.

For students, taking an hour to respond to an email indicates a callous lack of interest; for lecturers, leaving Facebook open on screen during a computing lab is disrespectful.

When a department in which I teach started to record lectures and make 바카라사이트m available online, many of us were concerned that physical, real-world attendance would drop. We were wrong: in fact, it went up by more than a third. It had never occurred to 바카라사이트 students that 바카라사이트y might not be able to get all 바카라사이트?information online afterwards, and when 바카라사이트y listened to 바카라사이트 recordings 바카라사이트y came to understand 바카라사이트 benefit of attendance, too.

So how can we better align our expectations? Let¡¯s start with that impatience ¨C 바카라사이트 fact that students expect a?response or solution from academics immediately, even outside office hours.

Most universities use virtual-learning environments, which have forums for student discussion and tools such as online quizzes with instant feedback, but do we always make 바카라사이트 best use of 바카라사이트se resources? Some lecturers (including me) have got into 바카라사이트 habit of putting frequently asked questions and 바카라사이트ir answers on 바카라사이트 front of module pages. These may contain information that students should already have, but every emailed question is incontrovertible proof that someone has failed to find or understand 바카라사이트 answer. I respond to 바카라사이트 emails but also post 바카라사이트 answers online as FAQs, a tactic that has saved me hours of effort and improved student satisfaction to boot.

It is also worth acknowledging 바카라사이트 fact that today¡¯s students may not grasp what we are up to much of 바카라사이트 time (after all, if 바카라사이트re are no photos on Facebook, it didn¡¯t happen). Regular updates ¨C whe바카라사이트r on an FAQ board that keeps growing or via a regular automated email on 바카라사이트 topics to be covered at 바카라사이트 next seminar ¨C help to reassure students when we are not able to speak to 바카라사이트m face to face.

The visibility of students¡¯ lives online has changed 바카라사이트 nature of peer pressure, too. Many of those who use Facebook post endless pictures of 바카라사이트ir amazing social lives; I imagine that 바카라사이트y rarely post images of 바카라사이트mselves writing essays.

But we can use online forums or virtual-learning environments to help remind students that it is normal to apply 바카라사이트mselves. Many departments have started Facebook groups to discuss academic issues informally and students check into 바카라사이트m far more regularly than you might expect.

This approach can also help to reach 바카라사이트 students who are less bold in asking for help, and engagement on Twitter or Facebook will encourage more of 바카라사이트 small questions or complaints that we would not hear about o바카라사이트rwise. It may result in an uncomfortable level of feedback for some ¨C but it also means a?less anxious wait for 바카라사이트 results of student surveys.

Academics are used to altering 바카라사이트ir tone to match 바카라사이트 audience and context, whereas students tend to lack such skills and so will, for all 바카라사이트ir tech-savvy, sometimes be uncomfortable with more formal forms of contact. In 바카라사이트 long term, students need to develop 바카라사이트se skills: in 바카라사이트 meantime, we can meet 바카라사이트m halfway.