Alex Golub is an anthropologist studying people who play World of Warcraft. He has an interesting article on the use of fear and humiliation in teaching over at Inside Higher Ed this morning.
What I learned that night was that I believe in the power of fear and humiliation as teaching methods. Obviously, I don’t think they are teaching methods that should be used often, or be at the heart of our pedagogy. But I do think that there are occasions when it is appropriate to let people know that there is no safety net. There are times — not all the time, or most of the time, but occasionally and inevitably — when you have to tell people to shut up and do their job. I’m not happy to discover that I believe this, and in some ways I wish I didn’t. But Warcraft has taught me that I there is a place for “sink or swim” methods in teaching.
Fear and Humiliation as Legitimate Teaching Methods :: Inside Higher Ed :: Higher Education’s Source for News, Views and Jobs.
Some of you commented that you believed that the first week of class was inappropriately harsh or difficult, and that it violated commonly acceptable practice. While we weren’t slaying boss-mobs, we were actually engaging in a similar activity.
October 28th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I have seen people raid in wow and it does get pretty intense. I was watching a friend play one time and his guild leader was similar to the one in this story that called people out. People would get absolutely furious, but they listened and they improved. They may have logged off that night mad, but when the raid was done again they did not make the same mistakes.
My favorite line from this article was “Teaching, like learning to down a boss, is about helping people grow their comfort zone by getting them to spend time outside of it.” We need to get students outside of their comfort zones. They do not need to be stuck in this little bubble, because that bubble will eventually burst. We need to prepare them for life. We may need to get them a little mad sometimes. We may need to make them feel uncomfortable. I think that it can be done in a tactiful way. We were not happy or comfortable in the first week or two of class, but it worked. I don’t think we have too many scars as a result.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I agree that we do need to be out of our comfort zones occasionally. That is what helps us learn. The key is being there for our children to help them along the way when they are put in “sink or swim” situations. Sometimes just when they feel they have given all they have they need that extra boost to help them go all the way. I think that it is important for teachers to strive to know “how to push people so that they will be ready to learn, instead of ready to tear their hair out.”
October 30th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I think that in order to teach children out of their comfort zones we need to get out of our comfort zone. It is so easy to do the same thing that we are comfortable with. We need to step out to find innovated ways to teach children, which means improving or changing activities we use in class. If we are comfotable using the same activiites over and over, chances are that most students are too. I agree with Kim that we need to help them not sink. We can use emotions to teach but we need to guide students. The same as in this class. MUD is killing me but if I ask for help here comes Bent through the darkness to rescue me.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Sometimes it takes a little firmness and harshness to get students outside the box. I know that I really did not like this class during the first couple of weeks but then it kind of grew on me. I had never had an online class where I was expected to participate/communicate to such a degree, but it has paid off. I don’t believe in being blatantly rude or harsh but I do think that a little firmness comes in handy. On the rude side, some teachers just need to grow a backbone rather than being constantly pushed around by student and parents. (Not saying all by any mean but I have seen too many)
November 1st, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I think that we all at some time or another must use methods that we aren’t exactly proud of. Fear and humiliation, as a teaching strategy, sounds a little harsh, but really sometimes that is the way to earn respect. I look up to teachers who never raise their voices because they command respect in other ways. But, some of us have to resort to fear to (at one time or another) to get the results we need.
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I can see how this class is very similar to WOW in the article. If you do not want to succeed you will not find it within you to complete all the tasks required. Honestly, the first month of class was difficult for me. I had some issues at home and I just did not know if I had it in me to do what I needed to pass. Thankfully, Dr. Lowell noticed I was having problems. Much like the leader in the other guild, he noticed someone was not participating. We are given freedom to learn or fail. It is our choice. It really is not like we did not have someone watching over us during our first week. Some were willing to dive in, while others were not.