Collaboration

With the current concerns of fully online and/or hybrid classes for undergraduate summer students, my thoughts and suggestions are limited due to the small number of online classes I have previously taken.  Here are my feelings thus far.....

I have only taken one other fully online class other than the one I am currently enrolled in.  Personally, I do like the connivence of online classes.  I know with having a full-time job it is nice to be able to work from the comfort of my own home after long week of work.   I also believe it would be extremely beneficial to summer undergraduate students wishing to live away from Raleigh for the summer.  Enrollment numbers may be higher with the flexibility of not having to attend class each week.  However, I would be hesitant to place a large number of undergraduates in the same online class and expect them to collaborate efficiently.  Luckily, the current class in which I am enrolled only has five members which makes collaboration easier.  I cannot imagine trying to work on one assignment with the views of multiple class members.  How will they ever reach an agreement?  How will they agree on a time that works for everyone?  

When working together on one assignment, the work load always seems to fall on one member.  Yes, everyone is voicing their own thoughts and opinions but one person has to agree to combine all members ideas and suggestions.  Undergraduates may not feel as strongly about their work as a graduate student does and may never agree to be the one assimilating a group assignment.  Undergraduates may need some sort of pre-set rotation schedule to determine who does what.  

Last summer I participated in a hybrid class.  The class in which I was enrolled met only three to four times the entire semester.  This class allowed the connivence of working in your own home with a small part of face to face communication.  The few classes we had allowed us to ask any questions we may be individually struggling with along with the opportunity to hear our peers own thoughts and questions.  I felt more connected with this type of online class than I do in a fully online class.  

There is much to consider when designing a fully online class.  Personally, I believe it would be extremely beneficial to the curriculum instructors to listen to advice from students who have previously participated in online classes.