236+Wheeler

Who Do We Think We Are? Dismantling Educators’ Assumptions in the Online Classroom || Lorna Raven Wheeler, Kaplan University, Washington, United States, lwheeler@kaplan.edu Kara Van Dam, Kaplan University, Ohio, United States, kvandam@kaplan.edu Tanya Peterson, Kaplan University, California, United States, TPeterson2@kaplan.edu || Anonymity provides a sense of safety and cover for both the online student and the instructor. It also generates a feeling of belonging that comes from being evaluated solely on the basis of one’s work since cultural beliefs, sex, race, religion, sexual preference, economic class, age, and physical ability are not easily "read" and responded/reacted to. Clearly, there are advantages to being anonymous. But in order to succeed in the online classroom, the student and instructor must shed at least part of that anonymity to create a sense of authenticity. As instructors, we ask our students to cast off the perceived safety of anonymity in order to engage in and contribute to a warm and welcoming virtual class environment; however, in order to create a safe but not benign learning space that allows each member to practice intellectual openness and integrity, we, as instructors, must first reflect upon our own assumptions. Nobody enters the online environment as a blank and unreadable slate. Each of us carries a set of experiences and beliefs that colors our interactions with others. Understanding and dismantling our own assumptions about our students can help educators model the kind of tolerance and understanding we hope our students can achieve.
 * **Submission ID 236** ||
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In higher education, part of the goal, it seems, is to offer students an experience outside of their comfort zone. Educators ask students to question, to evaluate, to challenge and to weigh in on issues. We also expect (even if it is not articulated) students to blend into a homogeneous entity so we can teach them about the world of ideas without getting side-tracked by personal experience and feelings. But do educators do a disservice to students by avoiding the discomfort that occurs when they encounter ideas/experiences/lifestyles/cultures much different from their own? In an effort to promote intellectual openness in the classroom, we hope that educators will join this forum to discuss the best way forward in this relatively new educational terrain. || General Session Forum All ||
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