The number of emails received via the ocTEL list has dropped dramatically in a week, to just a handful a day. This might be due to a number of reasons – for example, we may have become used to other media and other locations to host our discussions (including the forum, social media, blogs, etc). Another reason could be that some people have stopped posting altogether, or they have dropped out of the course already in week zero. Some might have switched from initial bubbliness to lurking.
Given the amount of angst expressed by so many users on the list as a result of the volume of emails, it could well be that many ocTEL participants have chosen to limit their posts. Perhaps the course has made us think about fitness for purpose, or it has sparked a desire to explore other tools – and how they might apply to our own teaching and research. It is clear, however, that email remains what is often referred to as a ‘normalised technology’, probably the one that the majority of participants felt most familiar or comfortable with – although their comfort probably triggered the discomfort of many other users.
It would be good to see evidence of activity by ocTEL participants over time, as well as channels chosen for our contributions. Do we know how many active contributors we have at this point, i.e. by the end of week zero?
A. Armellini
12 April 2013
http://www.northampton.ac.uk/people/ale.armellini