One of the things missing but desperately needed in every online class is a sense of community, where students get and give immediate feedback on projects as they develop. I have tried a number of approaches, from Blackboard posts, web page posts, and email sharing to address this, but nothing has really worked well enough to continue until we started using GroupMe. I’ve tested GroupMe interactions in many on campus and online courses, and the critical response and quality of work have been greatly improved.
There’s a GroupMe iOS and Android app and, of course, desktop web access at https://groupme.com, which is a great way to post jpgs of your work instead of sending them from your phone.
Should you become overwhelmed with the notifications, you can easily turn them off in the app settings. However, you should still check-in daily to help others with their works-in-progress, just as they will check in to help you with yours.
Please restrict your emails to me at [email protected] to personal matters, such as accommodations, a surgery, or a death. Actually, I prefer GroupMe for everything. Also, please avoid sending me a GroupMe direct message (DM) or texting me. I do not respond to non-personal texts or DM‘s.
I prioritize GroupMe for students. I receive roughly 80 emails a day. Unless you want to wait days for a response, use the public course GroupMe for communication.
All work should be vetted by your classmates and me through GroupMe. Odds are, if you have a question, one or more others in your class will have the same question. Regardless, responding in a shared forum will make all of us stronger communicators and better designers.
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Students are expected to facilitate class progress and the learning process through constructive criticism of peer work in preparation for a career as a well-rounded media industry professional.
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You are not allowed to write or say “Good job” or “I like it” or any equivalently unhelpful phrases in GroupMe. Doing so will result in a loss of 2 points on your semester grade per occurrence, unless I agree with you, which is almost never. After all, nearly every project can be improved.
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Often, feedback is incorrect; however, the ensuing discourse among many might help you better solve the problem.
At any rate, you are the final arbiter of your work. Take comfort in knowing that your final work is the best it can be given the restraints of current abilities, time, and money because you have vetted it.
Sure, taking the path of least resistance is easy and safe, but how does that help an individual grow? And if you’re not willing to offer considered feedback to others, why would they do the same for you?
How do you change from being ruinously empathetic? (Read and watch more about this under content labeled Radical Candor below.) Stop telling people what you think they want to hear. Instead, offer advice on how they can do better work, how they can better solve a problem with a design solution. In exchange, they will do the same for you.