Cyberspace Fears
I teach online and have become accustomed to facilitating the discussion group and the live seminar sessions. In the live seminar sessions, the students can see my PowerPoint presentation and class instruction is built around the PowerPoint. The students ask me questions by typing in the question and waiting for me to type a reply. Just when I was finally comfortable with the navigating my way through the virtual world of online teaching, something new is in store for me.
Starting with the next term, we will conduct seminars via an audio platform. My lap top will be equipped with a microphone in which the students will be able to hear me conduct the seminar. Instead of typing my response during the live seminar, I will be able to speak to the students directly. When the announcement was made about adding the audio to seminar, I had mixed feelings about the change. The advantages to audio include having a direct dialogue with the students and being able to take more control over the seminar. Sometimes the students can veer off course with typing in their responses.
One of my biggest fears is having the sound of my voice transmitted through cyberspace. I have never liked the sound of my voice and the idea of other people scattered across the country listening to my voice is a little frightening. Will my students cringe at the sound of my voice? Will they dream of the days of no audio? How will my voice be projected? What can they tell about me from the sound of my voice? Will I have to use the webcam in the near future? Not only can they hear me but now they can see me. I don't exactly look my best between certain hours. Ok, I have probably gone off the deep end about this but that is just how my mind works.
I have already completed training on the new audio feature. It is truly amazing how the virtual world works. I was able to complete the training online with a virtual trainer walking me through every step in the process. After the training was over, I took a test to see how much I comprehended from the session. There is even a "sandbox" which is a simulated training module for instructors to practice their techniques before we go live next term. I am sure I will spend a lot time in the sandbox honing my skills. I will keep you posted on how the audio seminars are working out. In the meantime, I will be practicing projecting my voice through cyberspace.