English 231
Dr. Desmet
Winter 1997
1. Do you have an e-mail account?
Naturally everyone had an e-mail account, by the end of this class if not before. One person commented that the Usenet group forced him/her to learn to use the e-mail, which was a benefit.
2. Do you have an e-mail account with the U of Georgia?
3. If so, do you have more than one account?
4. Please list the kinds of UGA email accounts that you have (such as Contac, ARCHES, MUSIC, etc.)
ARCHES was far and away the front runner for student e-mail accounts. Whatever happens on and with ARCHES on a daily basis profoundly influences the nature of our classes. A few students still had MUSIC accounts, a few had accounts with other campus organizations.
5. Do you have a different kind of e-mail account? (such as AOL, Compuserve, etc.)
6. Please list the other kinds of email accounts that you have.
A few students had AOL or Mindspring or Blue Pear(?)
7. Which email account do you use most often?
ARCHES was always the answer.
1. Did you post regularly to your section usenet group?
More or less regularly, was the general answer.
2. What was the most useful feature of the usenet group?
There was a great deal of hostility to the Usenet group from some quarters, which saddened me, since last year's crop uniformly recommended its virtues. The hostility came from their inability to negotiate the Usenet group through the ARCHES TIN reader--for instance, after reading a class assignment they often thought that it and their own postings disappeared. They did not or could not understand that the postings were archived elsewhere. Those who liked the exercise appreciated the opportunity, first and foremost, to raise their grades. Many of the students said that they enjoyed seeing the postings and perspectives of other students. One "liked how their ideas were strange and different from my own."
3. What was the least useful feature of the usenet group?
Solicitation of information about the "least useful" feature of the Usenet group produced a host of complaints about ARCHES. It was hard to distinguish systemic problems from user ignorance and error. It is a bit alarming to see how little knowledge the students have of the system, and a bit disheartening that they regarded teaching them computer skills as part of my job. In fact, casual and unscientific conversations leads me to believe that many students now use their roommate's computer (and know absolutely nothing about it!) as they used to use their roommate's word processor.
4. Is there anything useful that you can tell us to help plan future classes using the usenet group?
1. Have you used the World Wide Web?
2. Would you say that you are:
Many students were "very familiar" with the Web and relatively few claimed little to no familiarity.
3. Do you regularly use the Web browser in your email account?
4. Do you regularly use a different Web browser? (such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc.)
Netscape was far and away the Web browser of choice. This may be because an overwhelming number of students consulted the class web site at a UCNS lab. Some students were familiar with Alta Vista and Yahoo etc, but these were relatively few.
5. If so, which Web browser(s) do you use most often?
Interestingly, most students did not use the Lynx line browser that comes with ARCHES. Only one said that he/she used Lynx exclusively for access to the web site, which made the pictures useless. One student obviously did not know that such a thing existed, since he/she complained that a web browser should be available with the email account. This suggests to me that students learn to use the email by rote and do not understand the available pine menu.
6. Have you used our class Web site?
Most had.
7. Would you say that you:
About two-thirds looked at the web site often.
8. From what location did you usually check the web site (from home, from a UCNS lab etc.)
Most students consulted the class web site from a UCNS Lab, particularly Memorial Hall and the Library. A smaller number used a dorm or home computer.
9. For what purpose(s) did you use our class Web site?
Only one person used the web site to consult the class syllabus, which is a good thing, because I never managed to post the syllabus last quarter! Although some students were interested in "the culture in which these authors lived" or in "finding other interesting Web sites," for the most part my class was all business. Many appreciated the sample tests and answer guides (although personal experience showed that those who were most bewildered by their grades did not check the answer keys first!) In fact, the class seemed to have an insatiable desire for sample tests and answer keys, although they are time-consuming and boring for me to make up.
Students used the Web site to "study for upcoming exams" primarily, to write papers secondarily, and finally, to learn more about the authors and period. It was interesting to me that in a different kind of survey that we distributed last year, students said that they felt that this particular kind of English class (old literature, foreign nation) provided moral improvement and made them cultured. In the official evaluations and previous surveys, several always say that they enjoy my "travel stories," which I take to mean that they like encountering "other" cultures and persons. I'm not sure why the web does not contribute to their thirst for cultural edification. Perhaps the answer lies in the institutional constraints and frames that condition this particular web event. (See below.)
10. If you used our web site to study for exams, did you:
Many students said that they consulted the web site on a regular basis. On my first read through the surveys I thought that most used the web only for studying before an exam, but this turned out not to be true. This result is confirmed by the fact that every time I asked them to learn a date, several asked if it had been added to the timeline. They were aggressive in demanding up-to-date information!
11. If you used the web site to study, did you print out the material?
12. If so, did you print at home or at a UCNS lab or dormitory lab?
Most students printed out the relevant material. Perhaps this is because they were working at a UCNS lab and felt the pressure of other users. My students still want paper product! On the other hand, they at least feel that the computer labs are always busy, and so they want to print out what they need and get out as quickly as possible. Relatively few print from home.
13. If you can answer this question, which is more useful for studying, our web site or the published lecture notes?
On my first read through these surveys, I was depressed to think that more students used the published lecture notes rather than the web site, which came directly from me and engaged them in a slightly more active way, I thought. A statistical sampling suggests that an equal number prefer the lecture notes and the web site. Some felt the lecture notes were more thorough, others that the web site was better organized and contained material missing from the published lecture notes. Many said they used both. One student writes: "I couldn't make it without either one. I take BAD notes!" One student actually said that he/she used neither published notes nor web site, because "I take my own notes." I shed tears of gratitude. Again, time could be a factor. One student wrote that "I sometimes did not have time to check the web site because of work so really--lecture notes."
14. Which feature of our web site was most useful?
The most popular features of the Web site were the Handouts used in lecture. A number of students said that having the handouts on the Web allowed them to listen more closely in class. One writes: "Keep putting up the handouts and encourage everyone not to frantically write down what's on the overhead because it's bard to do that and to listen--but instead they can just get a nice printout of it later to study by--& in class they can listen." Another said that the availability of the handouts on the Webs made him/her pay less attention, since the information was available on the Web, but there is always one of these in every crowd. On the other hand, their lack of access to computers continued to be a barrier. One student wrote: "I liked the web site, the only think I didn't like was when if we didn't copy all of something down we had to look on the web. That was very inconvenient for me since I don't have a computer and don't live on campus."
15. Which feature of our web site was least useful?
Sadly, the least useful features, according to my students, were the links to other sites and pictures, just the things that we think make the Web special and make it appeal to a variety of literacies. How depressing! My sense is 1)that many students have rudimentary computers at their disposal; 2)that many are limited by their modem at home; 3)that some are limited by the time restrictions and general bustle that characterize the labs on campus. They want to print the material and get out; and perhaps 4)that they view the web as a class tool as something very different from the web as a vehicle for entertainment. (See below.)
16. If you use the WWW regularly, what do you use it for?
On their own, the students use the Web for entertainment, ranging from sports scores to the concert schedules of the Indigo Girls. Some also use the WWW for research. I could see no specific correlation between using the web for fun and using the web for class.
17. Tell me anything about the web site that might be useful for planning future English 231 classes.
Unfortunately, they wanted more sample tests and the lecture notes posted for them on the web. But at least they want to study!