Is The Cove useful for MC506?- comments from Fall 2004

[Karen Brown]

I think the idea was good because it was an additional resource for gathering information and for communicating with classmates and with our instructor. However, not many people seemed to use it for communication. My thought is that people are so time-crunched it becomes one more thing to do.
Something that would have made it more useful for me –- following each class, posting by the instructor, reinforcement of concepts covered in class. I think others would have checked in weekly for this information and it might inspire more communication between classmates. Another idea—offer extra credit points for inspiring others on The Cove since it was not a City U. requirement.
Also, it may have helped to review skills for using the cove at the beginning of our class. We are not all computer gurus!

[Steve Prevette]

Originally Posted by Karen Brown

I think the idea was good because it was an additional resource for gathering information and for communicating with classmates and with our instructor. However, not many people seemed to use it for communication. My thought is that people are so time-crunched it becomes one more thing to do.
Something that would have made it more useful for me –- following each class, posting by the instructor, reinforcement of concepts covered in class. I think others would have checked in weekly for this information and it might inspire more communication between classmates. Another idea—offer extra credit points for inspiring others on The Cove since it was not a City U. requirement.
Also, it may have helped to review skills for using the cove at the beginning of our class. We are not all computer gurus!

Good Comments.

[Nestor]

Originally Posted by Karen Brown

I think the idea was good because it was an additional resource for gathering information and for communicating with classmates and with our instructor. However, not many people seemed to use it for communication. My thought is that people are so time-crunched it becomes one more thing to do.
Something that would have made it more useful for me –- following each class, posting by the instructor, reinforcement of concepts covered in class. I think others would have checked in weekly for this information and it might inspire more communication between classmates. Another idea—offer extra credit points for inspiring others on The Cove since it was not a City U. requirement.
Also, it may have helped to review skills for using the cove at the beginning of our class. We are not all computer gurus!

I think a review of how to use this process is a great idea. After all, to echo a phrase that I seem to have included in my conversations lately is: "Process dictates outcome". A greater use of the Cove would result from a demonstartion of how to effectively use this means of communication between the class members and yourself. I am a novice at this blogging yet by the end of class, I may even feel confident to use an icon.

[Bill Pflanz]

Originally Posted by Karen Brown

I think the idea was good because it was an additional resource for gathering information and for communicating with classmates and with our instructor. However, not many people seemed to use it for communication. My thought is that people are so time-crunched it becomes one more thing to do.
Something that would have made it more useful for me –- following each class, posting by the instructor, reinforcement of concepts covered in class. I think others would have checked in weekly for this information and it might inspire more communication between classmates. Another idea—offer extra credit points for inspiring others on The Cove since it was not a City U. requirement.
Also, it may have helped to review skills for using the cove at the beginning of our class. We are not all computer gurus!

Karen,

Steve's original purpose of this City University thread was to "allow students to interact with 'real world' practitioners in the subject area of the course".

Although I have contributed some comments to the discussion, it felt more like I was talking to Steve rather than any MBA students. Recognizing that some students were not comfortable with the technology or did not have time, I was hoping to get more interaction with the students. As someone who also taught this same class, I was interested in the approach that Steve was using.

As a "customer" of ours, would you and other students be willing to provide some feedback on how we, as practitioners, could have helped you more?

Thanks

Bill Pflanz

[wealthbuilder]

Hi all,

I found blogging interesting, but I too was disappointed in the lack of use. I guess this is either an example of the Tinker Toy experience, where we feel we are in competition and this could hurt our grades by sharing info. Or, like Karen said, people just do not make the time. I hope it is the latter.

I found the course very interesting and challenging. THANKS, Mr. Prevette - your teaching style is refreshing.

Thanks, Mr. Bill Pflanz - for this unique and valuable resource.

Have a Great Christmas!!!
Ernie Barela

[Steve Prevette]

The general response to using the Cove was very positive. I will use the Cove again for MC550. My plan is to keep these posts open until spring quarter, then I will arrange to have them at least temporarily hidden so that when I run the MC506 again next fall there will be a clean slate.

Several people suggested I should walk students through how to register and how to post new threads and how to respond to existing threads. Several said there was a lack of time for getting involved with the Cove. Others expressed the fear of their posts being out "in the open" on the internet, and others had the fear of helping other students and hurting their own grades. Two people felt the Cove was harder to use than City U's discussion boards.

On the positive side, it was good to have the interaction with the professionals out there, and a convenient place to get course material.

[Wes Bucey]

[QUOTE=Steve Prevette]The general response to using the Cove was very positive. I will use the Cove again for MC550. My plan is to keep these posts open until spring quarter, then I will arrange to have them at least temporarily hidden so that when I run the MC506 again next fall there will be a clean slate.

Several people suggested I should walk students through how to register and how to post new threads and how to respond to existing threads.

Experienced internet users tend to take a lot for granted about other folks being able to "pick up" the necessary techniques and experience to successfully use and enjoy the web by some sort of osmosis. Same thing happens in organizations that give lip service to training and don't bother to evaluate the comprehension of the trainees after testing.

Several said there was a lack of time for getting involved with the Cove. Others expressed the fear of their posts being out "in the open" on the internet, and others had the fear of helping other students and hurting their own grades.
I must have been raised on a different planet. When I was in school, my fellow students and I always thought it was "US against the System and the Teachers." It seemed like we were always hatching conspiracies and schemes to get "one up on" the System. I went to a multi-story high school. Only teachers and staff had keys to the elevators. Students and visitors had to walk up and down stairs (long before "handicap accessible.") One student "borrowed" a careless teacher's keys from a lab coat hanging on a hook. Within a week, all 2500 students had keys, whether they used them or not. Threats of punishment did not deter us from using the elevators - we were the kind of folk that when a teacher looked for a culprit, everyone stepped forward to claim credit, even the "nerds" who would never think of doing anything wrong on their own. On a similar note - when anyone tried to bully a student, everyone else would step forward and defend the victim - it just wasn't "acceptable" to prey on one another. (Different case when it was equals in a dispute - they "took it outside and after hours.")

Two people felt the Cove was harder to use than City U's discussion boards.
I'd be interested in knowing what was "hard."

On the positive side, it was good to have the interaction with the professionals out there,
I think it is good to learn how to interact with others and to "pick brains."
and a convenient place to get course material.
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