Sunday, March 05, 2006
Module 6: Ethnography
Week 6: A study of Group 3
Group 3
For this week’s assignment I am creating an ethnography of Group 3 from our class. I used the post-meeting reflections to determine my conclusions. Group 3 is made up of four people, none of whom I know casually nor professionally. They are Kanelia, Justin, Katie and Anthony.
* Tony's responses are compiled on a text webpage I designed at http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hatt0047/tony.htm
* Justin's responses are compiled on a text webpage I designed at http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hatt0047/justin.htm
* Katie's responses are compiled on a text webpage I designed at http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hatt0047/katie.htm
* Kanelia's responses are compiled on a text webpage I designed at http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hatt0047/kanelia.htm
Here are my observations:
From their post-discussion reflections, Group 3 appears to have developed a group issue with the technological aspect of this class. Several point out technological problems or issues. Perhaps that is a common thread because it was something to chat about and it stuck in their brains. However, they are positive about working in a group with others. For instance, they are apologetic when they can't meet and seem to enjoy getting to know one another better. Group 3 seems to appreciate the insights that people bring to the group, but they seem to think that technology is hindering their ability to function well.
I was also surprised at the brevity of all of their reflections. There doesn't appear to be a lot of reflecting going on. There is more a recounting of what the group did and discussed and little analysis or reflection on the value of the work.
Here is a more in-depth look at each member:
Tony
It appears as if Tony has technology issues and mostly struggles with the speed at which conversations take place, especially in groups. He mentions these issues in every post. His posts have grown longer and more introspective as time has gone by and I assume from this he is getting more comfortable with the technology of the class. I thought his comment about having to think before he speaks (Week 1) is interesting. He seems to be thinking about the way the course is run and trying to become familiar with everything out there. I think someone like Tony wouldn't prefer this brand of technology use for long because of his issues with technology. Justin
Justin's pretty focused on relatability to the classroom. He's interested in how his own experiences with technology for this class will illuminate (did I just say that?) potential difficulties for his own students. Like Tony, he comments on problems with multiple people chatting at once. But is overall, Justin is very focused on relevance to his own classroom and his own students.
Katie
Katie started off pretty enthusiastic about meeting online. She had experience with online chats and thought that it was "fun". Katie likes that people have to be more concise and that problems with group work in person are eliminated when online. By week 3, though, she was frustrated with some aspects of meeting online. It's clear that time is very important to her. She doesn't want to lose or waste time and doesn't even like the small talk at the beginning of the online meeting. Katie wants to get business done and not procrastinate. In addition, she seems to have some time issues, too: with a nannying job impeding on her time to do her classwork, so she suggested changing the group meeting time so everyone can be more productive.
Katie appears to not want to be swamped with other work and not have enough time to get everything done. She has a time issue.
Kanelia
Kanelia is by far the most positive of the group members. Instead of being frustrated with elements of chatting online, she commented on the need for an "adjustment period" and was sure that things would be better next time. Plus, she states that things will keep getting better and easier the more they use it. Though she got a little frustrated with the flow of conversations in the group--easy to get off track--she was still positive and optimistic about the value of chatting online and working in a group. Kanelia clearly appreciates the multiple perspectives that people bring to the table when working in a group. It's valuable to her to hear other people's opinions and perspectives.
