"Actual Experience"

On page x, Warnock writes, "Even after an extensive, multiday workshop, some faculty still voice uncertainty about what the actual experience of an OWC will be like." I started teaching online classes in 2016 and instantly I felt comfortable because I received my MFA from a low-residency program. We met twice a year for 10 days, but the rest of our work was done online. I graduated in 2013, so it hadn't been that long since I was an online student myself. When I wrote my syllabus for that class, I thought about my time as an online student and the things my students would need to know to succeed: planning ahead, contacting teachers immediately if they had questions because they can't know when teachers will respond, finding classmates to help answer questions and/or to explain material. Online classes are similar to f2f classes in that students need to feel comfortable and confident; in other words, they need a solid foundation from which they can learn. However, that foundation is different in an OWC and I wanted my students to know I was once (and now again) an online student. Teaching during the pandemic has made me a better online teacher because I have also been taking courses, so, once again, I have experienced OWCs from the teacher perspective and the student perspective. I'd like to think my student perspective gives me a better teacher perspective.

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