Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Online tutoring and WC ethos
The question that Healy raises about the loss of "collegiality and work-place ethos" is one I've also considered, in both business and academic environments, but I wonder if it's a generational thing. When I worked from home or was traveling a great deal, even though I was in constant contact with my office via Internet, cell phone and conference calls, I definitely felt the loss of a collaborative effort with my team members. It's not that they were no longer cooperative but I noticed the loss of "informal contact with peers and supervisors" through which "appropriate courses of action generally are determined" (547). I just missed out on information and impromptu collaboration that happens almost without us recognizing it when we are physically working together. I've heard similar complaints about online courses. Does being physically cut-off from the bricks-and-mortar WC affect an online tutor's ability to work collaboratively with students and peers?
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No one can really say that it's the same, right? It is fundamentally different. Some introverted tutors might prefer to tutor from home, but then they miss the opportunity to grow in their interactions with others.
The same thing happens with adjunct professors. I feel cut off from my fellow teachers in meaningful ways such as the chatter that happens when offices are close to one another. I had a taste of it last fall at IWU when I was actually given an office. I spent a lot of time there simply because I could connect better with what was happening. It felt good to be a part of a community instead of on the fringes.
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