In October, my husband, Michael, and I traveled to California to watch the taping of and to do a walk on for a popular TV sitcom that will air tonight.
All sitcoms are episodic comedies that range from 20-45 minutes in length; all episodes have 3 common elements: the Problem, the Development, and the Resolution. Now some TV writer may correct my terminology here; however, I think, we can all agree that most sitcom episodes follow the same three stage narrative structure. One of the main characters encounters a problem, which usually requires traveling into uncharted territory. The problem escalates, providing the opportunity for comic relief. And, the episode ends with resolution. It is not uncommon for this resolution to occur because another main character or friend has come along side to ease the path and help the main character cope and find resolution. The episode that Michael and I will appear in tonight is no different. “Barney” will face a problem and his friends will assist him in resolving it.
When you sit with your family, a spouse, or a friend to watch a sitcom, you rarely think about this underlying narrative. However, this narrative became very apparent to me as I sat on set and watched retake after retake of this episode. As an educator, it became evident that the journey I took and the one my students take is not unlike that which characters in sitcoms take every episode.
In entering an online program, students enter the uncharted waters of a new learning environment with unfamiliar technologies. The problem occurs. And, as the semester progresses, the problem and related anxiety escalate. For this is when students have to navigate the uncharted territory and use the new technologies to complete assignments. This is the time, when I as an educator, have the opportunity to come along side and develop a relationship with my students – one that I hope helps them ease their way into the new environment, helps them cope with the unfamiliarity, and helps them then contribute and learn within their distance learning community.
Now, the “how to” for “coming along side” in a traditional environment is well documented; however, “how to” do this in the online environment is not as well documented. It is uncharted territory for many faculty. So, as I sat watching retake after retake, I began to develop a list of what this might look like in the online environment based on how the episode unfolded. Here are a few of the items from that list:
- Normalizing the experience via an introduction video or text based announcement. Normalize the Problem, the Development, and the Resolution stages of the transition into the online learning environment. While recognizing that unlike the sitcom episode the Problem, the Development, and the Resolution does not occur within a half an hour. It is a process that takes time.
- Having regular communication (weekly audio overviews, weekly announcements) that include humor and comic relief. In the most serious of moments, TV writers often introduce a joke of a comment to ease the tension and remind the audience that everything will be ok.
- Welcoming communication and providing multiple avenues for contact. When responding to requests for communication, respond in a timely manner. In the sitcoms, friends are usually only a phone call away when a crisis ensues.
- Providing technology support. When first asking students to use a technology, plan to have them socialize with it- spend time at “MacLaren’s” hanging out .
So, tonight, as I and the world sit to watch the How I Met Your Mother season 8, episode 7, I will reflect back on not only the set experience, but also on how I can improve as an online instructor and help my students navigate the uncharted territories.
If you want to read about the experience and how it came to be, you can check out my husband’s blog at http://www.howimetmyother.net/
By the way, my “false” from my last post was, I have never been sky diving. I did indeed appear on a sitcom.