Title: Extract from an online discussion
Author: Rhona Sharpe
Company: Oxford Brookes University

Scenario A: Introductions on an online course

Below is the contents of an ‘introductions’ discussion on a fully distance course where the printed course materials are supported by this conference. The group should consist of about 30 students, none of whom have, or are likely to meet each other. The structure of the course is provided through the course materials and related assignments, but the online component has been added to offer social support and opportunities for students to share their experiences and ideas as they work through the course materials.

Note the dates: The first message is posted on the Friday prior to the course’s official start on the following Monday morning. The last message is posted just over a week later.

[This idea for this scenario is based on real experiences but  this particular series of messages is entirely fictional]. 

Compiled Messages:
------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 1:  posted by TUTOR on Fri, Nov. 1, 2008, 09:45 Subject: Welcome to our tutor group 
Hello and welcome to our tutor group discussion. This is going to be an area where we will work together on the course related activities throughout the coming year. I really hope that this will be a place where you will feel completely at ease working with each other and we will be able to share our experiences and developing conceptions of the course content. 

To start us off, please introduce yourself by replying to this message, telling me a little bit about yourself and what you hope to get out of this course.

I look forward to getting to know you all

Chris.
------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 2:  posted by PB on Fri, Nov. 1, 2008, 16:46 Subject: re: Welcome to our tutor group

Hello – I hope I’m in the right place. I’m Paul and I’ll be studying this course. I am a lecturer at Cardiff uni in the Photography department. There are a few of us from my department who have signed up for this course this year so I’m hoping that we will all be able to share the workload and motivate each other. Paul 
------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 3:  posted by LS on Sat, Nov. 2, 2008, 07:12 Subject: re: Welcome to our tutor group 
Hello everybody,
I just wanted to login before the kids wake up and say that I’m here too. Next stop that great big box of course materials. There seems to be an enormous amount to get through. I hope I haven’t taken on too much.
Laura.
 ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 4:  posted by DC on Sat, Nov. 2, 2008, 22:41 Subject: re: Welcome to our tutor group 
Thank you for your welcome Chris. I will be in this tutor group as well I think. I have been teaching for 15 years in a number of universities in Eire where I am based and am constantly trying to improve what I do. I’ve taken a variety of staff development courses over the years and I’m very much looking forward to this one. What I really hope to get out of this course is a greater theoretical underpinning to what I do. I’ve been greatly influenced by the work of Carl Rogers (Freedom to Learn) but this was published a while ago now and I’d like to be up to date with my knowledge of the educational literature. Last week I worked my way through the first set text – thank you for that – I found it a real inspiration. What did other people think of it? Do you think there is any mileage in differentiating between scholarship for teaching and scholarship of teaching? 

Deni. ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 5: posted by TUTOR on Mon, Nov. 4, 2008, 09:38 Subject: re: welcome to our tutor group.
 Hello Deni, Laura and Paul. What a thrill to see those little red flags this morning. I’m very pleased to see that you have joined our little group here already. I’m expecting another 20 or so to join us this week. Is anyone else out there ready to say hello yet?

Chris.
 ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 6:  posted by VI on Mon, Nov. 4, 2001, 11:24 Subject: re: welcome to our tutor group
 Just testing that my password works and that I can get into this conference. It took a few go’s but now I’m here. I’ll post a full introduction soon.

Vince. ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 7:  posted by TUTOR on Mon, Nov. 4, 2008, 12:38 Subject: re: welcome to our tutor group 
Hi Vince,

Good to hear from you. Yes, I would appreciate a fuller introduction when you have time.

Chris.
 ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 8:  posted by MP on Wed, Nov. 6, 2008, 17:29 Subject: re: welcome to our tutor group 
Well, nobody else has posted for a few days so I guess it must be my turn. My name is Maureen and I am a consultant gynaecologist at St. Thomas’ in London where I have been for the last 22 years (scary!). I am taking this course to assess its suitability for other staff in my department. I have had many students working alongside me and have been variously encouraged, frustrated and amused by observing their developing knowledge and skills. I’m hoping that this course will give me a greater understanding of what is going on in their heads.
I live in High Wycombe with my husband, 2 kids (1 at Uni now) and 4 dogs.
Maureen.
 ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 9: posted by TUTOR on Thu, Nov. 7, 2008, 16:07 Subject: Posting your introductions

It would be really great to hear more from the other people in this conference. I can see from the history function that there are several people out there who are reading and not posting. Yes, it’s OK – you are in the right place and we would love to hear from you. 

Chris. ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 10:  posted by DC on Thu, Nov. 7, 2008, 22:44 Subject: re: welcome to our tutor group 
I agree Chris. I’ve been here almost a week now and I’m itching to get going with our first activity. Maybe if people posted their introductions we would be able to start it.
Deni.
 ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 11:  posted by TUTOR on Fri, Nov. 8, 2008, 09:37 Subject: re: welcome to our tutor group 
Thanks for the prompt Deni. I had thought as we seem to be a bit slow to get going that I would delay the start of the first activity until next week. I’ll post some more information up about it on Monday.
C
And ‘hello’ to Maureen!
 ------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 12: posted by OP on Fri, Nov. 8, 2008, 11:07 Subject: re: Posting your introductions
>It would be really great to hear more from the other people in this >conference. I can see from the history function that there are >several people out there who are reading and not posting. Yes, it’s >OK – you are in the right place and we would love to hear from you. 
>Chris. 
You must mean me Chris. I have enjoyed reading your messages but I am incredibly busy at work at the moment and I’m just concentrating on working through the first set text as Deni and others seem to be way ahead with this already. 
So, my introduction…

I am a lecturer in Nursing at Nottingham Trent where I have been since 1999. I was practising as a nurse for many years and felt competent and professional in that role. As a teacher I still feel a bit of a ‘newbie’. I’m hoping that this course will give me a range of techniques I can use in the classroom and in assessments, particularly assessing clinical skills.

Olivia.
------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 13: posted by PB on Fri, Nov. 8, 2008, 15:23 Subject: re: Posting your introductions

Chris – could you say a bit more about the first activity. I would be happy to get started with it early next week, but most of the time I have for this course is evenings and weekends so it would be helpful to have some idea today?
Thank you
Paul.
------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 14: posted by TY on Sun, Nov. 10, 2008, 14:29 Subject: re: Posting your introductions

My name is Tony and I’m joining you from Barcelona where I work as a TEFL teacher. I’ve had lots of problems getting this software to work on my Mac OSX but I seemed to have got it working now. Thanks for the tip about the helpline Chris – they responded quickly to my queries and didn’t even mind calling me back and paying international call charges. 
Tony.

------------------------------------------------------------ Message No. 15: posted by TUTOR on Sun, Nov. 10, 2008, 14:50 Subject: re: Posting your introductions

OK Paul, Deni and others – you’ll see that I have created a separate conference for us to get started on the first activity. 
In the meantime, I would still like to carry on this Introductions discussion until everyone is here which should be by the end of next week. 

I’ll post a detailed brief for everyone about the first activity when I am back in the office on Monday morning, but feel free to get started before then if you want to.

Best wishes

Chris.