Do teachers dream of electric classrooms?

The experiences of future teachers teaching writing online

Authors

  • Allan Nail Winthrop University Author
  • Jane S. Townsend University of Florida Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.33350

Keywords:

online instruction, writing instruction, preservice teachers, partnership, feedback, context

Abstract

As more classes are moving from the brick and mortar environs to online instructional spaces, the experiences of future teachers with communication technologies in online contexts merit attention. The authors describe the study of an Online Writing Partnership to examine participants' beliefs about the efficacy of online instruction and the quality of student/teacher relationships that are built via online means. Findings indicated four contextual threads of particular salience to the participants of the study, threads which contributed to a general sense of frustration with the online context for teaching: (1) social presence between participants; (2) the nature of relationships established between teachers and students; (3) the role and authority of a teacher in those relationships; and (4) their preconceived expectations of learning environments. Preparing future teachers for experiences in online teaching and learning may require providing avenues for examining their beliefs about the work required to form effective student/teacher relationships in virtual spaces.

Author Biographies

  • Allan Nail, Winthrop University

    Allan Nail is Associate Professor and Program Director of English Education at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA.

  • Jane S. Townsend, University of Florida

    Jane S. Townsend is Professor Emerita, University of Florida, Florida, USA.

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Published

2018-09-24

Issue

Section

Reflections on Practice

How to Cite

Nail, A., & Townsend, J. S. (2018). Do teachers dream of electric classrooms? The experiences of future teachers teaching writing online. Writing and Pedagogy, 10(1-2), 221-240. https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.33350