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Backchannel: questions posed from classmates
More BB cut & paste ...
So are you considering as part of your research (and maybe I missed this point in your posting) whether the instructor uses the back channel as a way to modify the instructional methods/mannerisms to address issues found in the back channel?
One of my original research questions was whether the instructor could / should use the backchannel to modify his / her presentation? The term backchannel is used in the communication field to refer to what is termed acknowledgment or response tokens ... they are the "ums", "aahs", "ohs" ... that listeners utter when listening to a speaker. It has been found that, based on these common backchannel utterances and other non-verbal behaviors, the listener greatly impacts how a conversation progresses. I wonder if, as you note, the parallel text chat can offer a response token of sorts to the instructor which ultimately changes the tone / flow / content of the presentation.
Also, good point on whether the instructor does / should read all backchannel text messages. As a side note, Dr. D pointed out to me yesterday that she occasionally gets private chat messages from students during her lectures (those sent only to her that the rest of the class can't see). That is a completely different angle than I had considered. Should she acknowledge those individual private comments that come in as she is speaking, as well as the comments that came in to the entire group? Or, should she set an expectation early in the class period that she can only focus on one conversation at a time and will read all backchannel comments after lecture?
So many good questions! Hopefully, this will keep me a busy researcher for some time to come!
So are you considering as part of your research (and maybe I missed this point in your posting) whether the instructor uses the back channel as a way to modify the instructional methods/mannerisms to address issues found in the back channel?
One of my original research questions was whether the instructor could / should use the backchannel to modify his / her presentation? The term backchannel is used in the communication field to refer to what is termed acknowledgment or response tokens ... they are the "ums", "aahs", "ohs" ... that listeners utter when listening to a speaker. It has been found that, based on these common backchannel utterances and other non-verbal behaviors, the listener greatly impacts how a conversation progresses. I wonder if, as you note, the parallel text chat can offer a response token of sorts to the instructor which ultimately changes the tone / flow / content of the presentation.
Also, good point on whether the instructor does / should read all backchannel text messages. As a side note, Dr. D pointed out to me yesterday that she occasionally gets private chat messages from students during her lectures (those sent only to her that the rest of the class can't see). That is a completely different angle than I had considered. Should she acknowledge those individual private comments that come in as she is speaking, as well as the comments that came in to the entire group? Or, should she set an expectation early in the class period that she can only focus on one conversation at a time and will read all backchannel comments after lecture?
So many good questions! Hopefully, this will keep me a busy researcher for some time to come!
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