[comp.edu] Use of network news in Social Implications Course

slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John C Slimick) (09/22/90)

This year, for the first time, we are offering
a course on social implications of computing.
Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups
comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures.
Each Friday I have set aside for discussion of what has
been happening on these news groups. The problem is
that the response is meagre--today we had 20% absences
and the other 80% had something to say, but little
enthusiasm. Previous Fridays have been even quieter.

I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make
the network news more interesting. Can anyone help?

Please post responses to the comp.edu since my class
will (hopefully) still be reading the group.

john slimick
university of pittsburgh at bradford
bradford pa .... just four miles from NY and high taxes
slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu

thom@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu (Thom Gillespie) (09/22/90)

In article <40553@unix.cis.pitt.edu> slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John C Slimick) writes:
>
>This year, for the first time, we are offering
>a course on social implications of computing.
>Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups
>comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures.
>Each Friday I have set aside for discussion of what has
>been happening on these news groups. The problem is
>that the response is meagre--today we had 20% absences
>and the other 80% had something to say, but little
>enthusiasm. Previous Fridays have been even quieter.
>
>I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make
>the network news more interesting. Can anyone help?
>
>Please post responses to the comp.edu since my class
>will (hopefully) still be reading the group.
>
>john slimick

I don't think that you can 'make' network news more interesting. The is no
interest 'in' the news. The interest is 'in' the readers. I've used postings
from netnews printed out for things like software piracy, computers in war,
etc., but they have been print outs so people can read them in their leisure.
It is easier to read 'anything' in print rather than on screen, particularly
net news. Netnews assumes a certain obsession with the medium. soc.china was
amazing during the uprising awhile back, but if you aren't interested, you
aren't interested -- even if it is going to be on an exam. 

A few years back there was a book called "Hooked on Books" by Daniel Fader. His
premise was that if you wanted kids to read, you had to give them what they
wanted to read. There are hundreds of disscusion groups, why not let your
students decide what is important for themselves. I think the groups you've
limited them to are the most boring groups going -- nice titles but no
substance. The best discussion of software piracy was in comp.sys.mac.misc. It
did not pop up in comp.society or where you would expect. Give 'em room and
they'll grow.

Marshall McLuhan (and Alan Kay)  talk about the communication effect of a
medium, you have to become like the medium to use the medium: speech, print,
software. The real question with the social implications of computing is what
is do to us when we use the medium, not what is discussed, that's a left over
print thought.

--Some thoughts
	Thom Gillespie

henry@GARP.MIT.EDU (Henry Mensch) (09/23/90)

You wrote:  
->I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make
->the network news more interesting. Can anyone help?

using the network is an exposure to a new culture just like visiting
france is (for usans) visiting a new culture.  if i just turn up there
without clues, i'm likely to be bored.  

what context have you given the students wrt usage of the network?
are they just reading, or are they encouraged to participate (by
posting articles)?

-- 
# Henry Mensch    /   <henry@garp.mit.edu>   /   E40-379 MIT,  Cambridge, MA
# <hmensch@uk.ac.nsfnet-relay> / <henry@tts.lth.se> / <mensch@munnari.oz.au>
#     via X.400: S=mensch; OU=informatik; P=tu-muenchen; A=dbp; C=de

jimf@idayton.intel.com (Jim Fister) (09/26/90)

> This year, for the first time, we are offering
> a course on social implications of computing.
> Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups
> comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures.
> Each Friday I have set aside for discussion of what has
> been happening on these news groups. The problem is
> that the response is meagre--today we had 20% absences
> and the other 80% had something to say, but little
> enthusiasm. Previous Fridays have been even quieter.

Wow, only 20% absent.  That sounds fairly good if the class is before 10:00.

Being a student myself (at times) I can't say that I always happily throw 
myself into my class assignments wholehartedly.  Therefore, I could understand
how your discussions might not be going so well.  Of course the assignment
sounds better than most that I get (no more Laplace transforms, please!)...

Perhaps your students just don't find the topics interesting enough to
discuss.  Or they could just be too confused by the normal net talk to care.
I'd say that the best bet would be to have them read the whole shebang (a
twenty hour assignment if I've ever seen one) and comment on something
that interested them.  Even the most jaded of students should find something
remarkable on the net (alt.sex ?)

Good luck and greetings from the Rocking Metropolis.

JimF
  

harrison@necssd.NEC.COM (Mark Harrison) (09/28/90)

In article <40553@unix.cis.pitt.edu>, slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John C Slimick) writes:

> Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups
> comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures.

> I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make
> the network news more interesting. Can anyone help?

Ask them to read some of the more controversial newsgroups.
-- 
Mark Harrison             harrison@necssd.NEC.COM
(214)518-5050             {necntc, cs.utexas.edu}!necssd!harrison
standard disclaimers apply...