Dear Professor,
In looking over the past several weeks of this course, I feel that there are a number of good points, as well as things that can be improved. In this reflection, I will talk specifically about the assignments, the review process, and the course in general. As opposed to previous students’ reflection papers, I will confine my opinion of the course to the school’s course evaluation.
The biggest part of this course involved multiple research papers. This helps develop research and writing skills, with the intent of improving those skills over the course of the term. The approach for this class was interesting: analyzing a topic at large, focusing on a contributor in that field, and finally, looking over a contribution made by the contributor. The approach helps in developing the research skills necessary for success in future classes and work. While this approach is a strong one for a class focused on research, the biggest problem came about when students were limited in what they could research. This goes against the principles and basic foundations of higher education—that is, academic freedom. What would have made this research approach superb would be allowing students to choose their field of study, rather than selecting from a pre-defined list of topics. While the topics may have been of interest to the instructor or another source, some students may have a strong desire to look into fields such as public policy, healthcare, journalism, or education. With the instructor dictating what is to be researched, we are left with choosing the best of a bad situation. Rather than really expanding our knowledge base on what we find interesting and really being able to explore our academic options, we are left with doing whatever is possible to just get through the course. It reflects poorly when we are finished with the course as we are more likely just to forget everything that we learned.
With that said, I did learn some interesting facts about country music’s evolution, contributors, and their contributors. The field itself has a rich and prosperous history, and the contributors are probably more diverse than many other genres of music. Studying Garth Brooks and his contributions showed me so much more about him than I already knew. While I knew he was one of country music’s biggest stars, I did not consider how big of an impact he had on other genres of music as well. In his creation of Chris Gaines, he took a huge risk and left many people confused. Some thought that he had some mental problems, but through research, I came to learn it was his way of promoting a move that never ended up filmed.
The second issue observed throughout the course was the use of Smarthinking. Technology has helped society tremendously over the years, and the use of Smarthinking in helping students with writing projects should be seen as an asset. Unfortunately, in the papers that I submitted, the credibility of Smarthinking is really called into question. When analyzing my papers for proper citations, the “tutor” always talked about how MLA format utilized the author and page number when using in-text citations. While that may be true for citing sources such as books, newspapers, and other paper publications, it is not the case when citing websites.[1] This really called into question the credibility and knowledge of the “expert” on the other end who was responsible for ensuring that my paper was compliant with MLA standards. Rather than utilizing the so-called tutors at Smarthinking, consider having students submit papers through a reputable site such as Turnitin to validate original research, and provide feedback to students rather than using others to do so. In an environment where students already feel disconnected from faculty, taking that approach may give students the perspective that the instructor has a vested interest in their success; this does not mean or suggest that the instructor has no vested interest in student success, but as the old adage says, perception is everything.
Overall, the course design has a potential for success. Many students utilize online courses for their convenience, and the online format provides a number of benefits and drawbacks. As stated, the online format is very convenient, can be flexible, and promote strong time-management skills, more than traditional classes often do. Unfortunately, the online format also takes away from the personal interaction experienced by students in the traditional classroom setting. While discussion boards, e-mail, and online chat attempt to reconcile these issues, they do not make up for the lack of interaction. While most of the challenges of online learning are beyond the scope (and to a certain extent capabilities) of the instructor, the importance of the course curriculum becomes even more significant.
When future students ask about what the course is like, the focus will be on the research projects, and the instructor’s interactions with students. In this regard, students who may not be thrilled with the options for research topics or get bad advice from the tutors at Smarthinking may give bad reviews or recommendations to future students. As such, my strongest recommendation for improving the course is to no longer limit research topics to a few random topics. Allow students to choose from their own interests and go from there. It will make the course more enjoyable for students, and by being able to focus on an area or field that they like, the quality of work should increase and the likelihood of taking shortcuts should decrease.
[1] See https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/ for further information.
In looking over the past several weeks of this course, I feel that there are a number of good points, as well as things that can be improved. In this reflection, I will talk specifically about the assignments, the review process, and the course in general. As opposed to previous students’ reflection papers, I will confine my opinion of the course to the school’s course evaluation.
The biggest part of this course involved multiple research papers. This helps develop research and writing skills, with the intent of improving those skills over the course of the term. The approach for this class was interesting: analyzing a topic at large, focusing on a contributor in that field, and finally, looking over a contribution made by the contributor. The approach helps in developing the research skills necessary for success in future classes and work. While this approach is a strong one for a class focused on research, the biggest problem came about when students were limited in what they could research. This goes against the principles and basic foundations of higher education—that is, academic freedom. What would have made this research approach superb would be allowing students to choose their field of study, rather than selecting from a pre-defined list of topics. While the topics may have been of interest to the instructor or another source, some students may have a strong desire to look into fields such as public policy, healthcare, journalism, or education. With the instructor dictating what is to be researched, we are left with choosing the best of a bad situation. Rather than really expanding our knowledge base on what we find interesting and really being able to explore our academic options, we are left with doing whatever is possible to just get through the course. It reflects poorly when we are finished with the course as we are more likely just to forget everything that we learned.
With that said, I did learn some interesting facts about country music’s evolution, contributors, and their contributors. The field itself has a rich and prosperous history, and the contributors are probably more diverse than many other genres of music. Studying Garth Brooks and his contributions showed me so much more about him than I already knew. While I knew he was one of country music’s biggest stars, I did not consider how big of an impact he had on other genres of music as well. In his creation of Chris Gaines, he took a huge risk and left many people confused. Some thought that he had some mental problems, but through research, I came to learn it was his way of promoting a move that never ended up filmed.
The second issue observed throughout the course was the use of Smarthinking. Technology has helped society tremendously over the years, and the use of Smarthinking in helping students with writing projects should be seen as an asset. Unfortunately, in the papers that I submitted, the credibility of Smarthinking is really called into question. When analyzing my papers for proper citations, the “tutor” always talked about how MLA format utilized the author and page number when using in-text citations. While that may be true for citing sources such as books, newspapers, and other paper publications, it is not the case when citing websites.[1] This really called into question the credibility and knowledge of the “expert” on the other end who was responsible for ensuring that my paper was compliant with MLA standards. Rather than utilizing the so-called tutors at Smarthinking, consider having students submit papers through a reputable site such as Turnitin to validate original research, and provide feedback to students rather than using others to do so. In an environment where students already feel disconnected from faculty, taking that approach may give students the perspective that the instructor has a vested interest in their success; this does not mean or suggest that the instructor has no vested interest in student success, but as the old adage says, perception is everything.
Overall, the course design has a potential for success. Many students utilize online courses for their convenience, and the online format provides a number of benefits and drawbacks. As stated, the online format is very convenient, can be flexible, and promote strong time-management skills, more than traditional classes often do. Unfortunately, the online format also takes away from the personal interaction experienced by students in the traditional classroom setting. While discussion boards, e-mail, and online chat attempt to reconcile these issues, they do not make up for the lack of interaction. While most of the challenges of online learning are beyond the scope (and to a certain extent capabilities) of the instructor, the importance of the course curriculum becomes even more significant.
When future students ask about what the course is like, the focus will be on the research projects, and the instructor’s interactions with students. In this regard, students who may not be thrilled with the options for research topics or get bad advice from the tutors at Smarthinking may give bad reviews or recommendations to future students. As such, my strongest recommendation for improving the course is to no longer limit research topics to a few random topics. Allow students to choose from their own interests and go from there. It will make the course more enjoyable for students, and by being able to focus on an area or field that they like, the quality of work should increase and the likelihood of taking shortcuts should decrease.
[1] See https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/ for further information.