Dr. David S. Hogsette NYiT

1. Using Safari Live Web-conferencing Technology in Technical Writing Courses: Can Nonhuman Software Rehumanize Online Learning Spaces? Dr. David S. Hogsette NYiT

2. NYiT’s Online Program • Established in the 1980s • Offers fully online graduate and undergraduate programs in the following schools: • School of Education • College of Engineering and Computing Sciences • School of Health Professions • All schools, programs, and majors offer online courses to supplement face-to-face course offerings • Predominately asynchronous formats

3. NYiT’s Discovery Core • Started revising the core in 2005 • Approval and implementation in 2010 • Foundation courses: • Academic writing • Research writing • Speech • Critical Thinking • Professional communications • Interdisciplinary seminars in literature, ethics, social sciences, and behavioral sciences

4. Oral Presentations • The new Discovery Core requires oral presentations in the foundation and seminar courses • Unique challenge for asynchronous online courses • Many face-to-face students take online courses to overcome scheduling conflicts • Some miss the human contact • Main question: Even though oral presentations are challenging online, could they help rehumanize the learning experience in predominately asynchronous online learning contexts?

5. Safari Live in Online Technical Communications • Create and deliver an oral research report proposal in an online meeting space (Safari Live) • Presentation elements: • Introduction to self and project • Project description • Explanation of research methodology • Conclusion • Question and answer • Must create and use a PowerPoint slideshow • Students work in groups: • Deliver presentation in Safari Live group meeting space • Other students act as audience members • I provide detailed instructions for how to access and use Safari Live • Student audience fills out assessment form for presenters • Presenters submit their PPT file, the assessment forms, and a report memo analyzing their experience

6. Safari Live

7. Successes • Students gain practical experience with online meeting software • Applicable to professional telecommuting and online meetings • There is a degree of rehumanization of asynchronous online courses: • Students experience synchronous contact with other students in the class • Students give presentations to a real people and can interact with audience • I prefer this model to the model of students recording PPT presentations which are submitted to professor • Pre-recorded presentations are rare in professional world (as far as I know…) • Students find the assignment challenging, but ultimately value the experience and see its practical use and professional application

8. Challenges • The rehumanization comes at a cost (associated with all human contact) • Typical group project hardships: • Sometimes not all group members participate • Some group members take the assignment more seriously than others • Scheduling conflicts and difficulties finding mutually acceptable meeting times • Technical challenges: • Sometimes the technology doesn’t work for certain students for unknown reasons • Unexpected connectivity problems at time of presentation • Compatibility issues (Safari Live is cross platform, but you know…)

9. Conclusions and Resolutions • Have a few smaller group projects prior to this one to “prime the pump” • Encourage students to play around with Safari Live before the day of the presentations • Build in flexibility (allow for groups to change meeting dates to finish the assignment) • Have an alternative assignment backup plan: • When all else fails, I allow students to give their presentation to at least three friends, family members, or co-workers • I welcome feedback and other technology choices—I’m still exploring ways of making this work