Informal Modes of Communication in a Formal Classroom

Are you an art aficionado? Have you spent any considerable time in an art museum? Are you familiar with some of the different styles of art that you might see inside any major museums? Are you a fan of contemporary, modern art?

Timothy Hicks
blackonblue, 2011
media on screen, 400x300 px

I guess you should know that there aren't necessarily any rules as to what can be considered art. I guess that one benchmark as to what can be considered to be high art is to go to a reputable art museum and have a look at what is situated inside each gallery. Now what would you think if you saw a McDonald's hamburger wrapper placed inside of a simple glass picture frame hanging on one of the walls? I'm sure some spectators would press their fingertips to their lips and use words like "profound" to describe the work. Others might smirk and say "Really? This is art?" before walking away in disgust.

In a similar vein, what happens when we have informal modes of communication introduced into a formal, academic setting? Does this elevate the informal mode or does it simply drag down the learning environment?

For instance, if you take classes online, then there needs to be a content management system (CMS) in place so that synchronous and/or asynchronous communication between the participants and instructor can take place. If you're taking online classes at Georgia State University, then chances are that you are using the Blackboard Collaborate (aka Elluminate) system for synchronous class meetings. Elluminate (old habits of calling it by that name die hard) allows users to speak to each other one at a time through a microphone/audio system, and it also has a whiteboard area where the instructor can write text, draw/make markings, and present slides or images. There are other capabilities (like leading the class online in a pop up window), but the one truly informal mode of communication offered by the courseware is the chatbox. The chatbox is basically just a small module where participants can send text messages to each other during the course of a class. It's easy to frown upon text messaging because it tends to be informal and spelling/grammar mistakes can't be edited in Elluminate's chat area after it's been sent. Despite being so informal, it still allows everyone to rapidly share ideas and links to resources. Very rich and informative discussion often takes place in the chatbox, so how can anyone deny it's educational merit in this context?

Sure, it would be weird having a chatbox in a classroom where everyone is meeting face to face and should be encouraged to just talk and learn to expand their comfort zone if some students simply don't like to talk in a crowd (it's a social skill worth developing, especially if you're in higher education). Nevertheless, an informal mode of communication can be useful even in a formal setting. It mostly depends on how the technology is used.

Now if you can agree with that last paragraph, can you also agree that a hamburger wrapper in a glass frame can be considered high art if it appears in an art museum? Well, I for one would laugh if I saw that hanging in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Maybe if the wrapper was used as part of a larger piece, but the wrapper in and of itself is forgettable. I guess it's what you do with the wrapper that counts.

I'd rather make a sandwich at home anyway.