Micro-Aggression in Online Classroom-Discussion 1: Collaborative Activity 1: Needy Students

The discussion board it’s fertile ground for deep learning. It is also fertile ground for misunderstanding and potential conflict.

Students on the needy end of the spectrum pose specific challenges to managing discussions successfully.

It is your job to keep students focused and on the topic so that they feel free to express themselves in a safe and collegial environment.

For this assignment, and Collaborative Activity 2, your Instructor will pair you with two colleagues. Connect with your partners via e-mail, chat, Skype, telephone, or another mutually agreed upon the medium.

(Synchronous communication is preferred, but not required, for this activity.) Together, brainstorm strategies to address each of the three scenarios.

Consider which of the three scenarios you would like to address in your post.

Note: You will work with the same partners for Collaborative Activity 2.

Scenario 1: Oliver posts a question in the Help Forum asking if someone can explain why the Distance Learning Department is telling him that he must switch browsers for the course LMS to work properly on his computer.

He is working on an older computer and simply does not understand the whole concept of different browsers and versions.

Nancy responds to his post saying that as an online student he should understand these things and “that even her father could figure it out.” Oliver’s feelings are hurt.

Oliver e-mails you to share that he is upset and that he wants you to speak with Nancy about her “condescending and ageist” remarks.

Scenario 2: Lucy refers to Edgar as Eddy on the discussion boards, despite Edgar having asked to not be called this in his Introduction post. Edgar asks her directly to stop because Edgar is a name of honor in his country, while Eddie is not.

Lucy responds by saying, “Whatever.” Edgar becomes angry. He questions her cultural sensitivity and her ability to work with students from diverse backgrounds.

Edgar then starts a thread in the Help Forum about microaggressions that, while not calling her out by name, is clearly aimed at Lucy.

Scenario 3: Nelly posts her work on the discussion board and mentions that the assignment catalyzed her to reflect on the influence her family and ethnicity has had on her work ethic as a student.

Amy replies, asking Nelly where she is from and stating how impressed she is with Nelly’s English fluency.

To Amy’s surprise, Nelly responds angrily, stating that she was born in the United States and that English is her first language! Amy apologizes, but Nelly remains offended and refuses to respond.

To Prepare:

Review “Online Education as a Means to Curb Classroom Microaggressions” (Lipovac, 2015) from this module’s Learning Resources. Consider how you would address microaggressions in your online classroom.

SOLUTION

Micro-Aggression in Online Classroom

Micro-aggression is a word commonly used to refer to behavioural, verbal, and environmental indignities (Kumar, Malmasi & Zampieri, 2018). It may be willing or unwilling, calculated to bring derogatory, hostile communication, or insults towards an individual or a group of people.

Sometimes people making such comments may be unaware of or have an intention to bring down the reputation of other persons. In the case study, micro-aggression is evident. It occurs between olive and Lucy. Olive is a needy student; this is shown by his using an older version of a computer. Lucy rudely answers olive and even goes ahead and says that Olive’s father could have done better than him.

Micro-aggression can also is in a class by acknowledging and recognizing other people’s perspectives and their realities. This helps to enhance understanding between different students; that is what they like and dislike. It is also essential to design subjects that enhance students to know that they are backed up and that their experiences, existence, and activities are supported.

Micro-aggression can also be solved by taking a deep breath whenever one notices it. This reduces tension as it helps one to collects their thoughts before responding.

Issuing student credits and listening to their opinions, enhance and solves micro-aggression (Sparks, 2016). Giving learners the benefit of the doubt is also very important.

That is you listen to them even if they are wrong and not judging them depending on their views and opinions. Lastly, you can directly respond to learner’s views and opinions as problematic.

That is you calmly and politely explain phrases or words proving as disrespectful and show an” I” statement rather than labelling or commenting on the speaker.

References

Campbell, B., & Manning, J. (2014). Microaggression and moral cultures. Comparative sociology, 13(6), 692-726.

Kumar, R., Ojha, A. K., Malmasi, S., & Zampieri, M. (2018, August). Benchmarking aggression identification in social media. In Proceedings of the First Workshop on Trolling, Aggression, and Cyberbullying (TRAC-2018) (pp. 1-11).

Sparks, S. D. (2016Classroom biases hinder students’ learning. The Education Digest, 81(6), 16.

Also check:  Discussion 2: Collaborative Activity 2: Challenging Students