Anonymous Academic Intimacy?

As many know I am assisting in an OT class this summer. I have always felt very fortunate to have this opportunity but I really do not think I appreciated it in its entirety.

The professor recently posed an assignment for the students to write letters home, reflecting on the course to date and the most challenging "what I've learned from this" or "what I'm still struggling with" bits and pieces. Their honesty and depth of sharing is remarkable. I have witnessed students move from "What is this silly blog thing?" to commenting on very deep thoughts of one another about everything from an understanding of God to domestic violence to "wait, you mean that isn't historical? But I've been quoting that as fact for years!".

One of the students commented on how they preferred learning in a live classroom setting. This initially brought much agreement. As such, I composed a short response that offered a different view. In a classroom, not everyone is heard. Sometimes it is a matter of time. Not all students are great orators. Some produce better stuff once they have had a chance to digest the material. And some just get distracted by Facebook. You might get to know a person by their attire, their ability to orate well, their loudness or meekness, their body language, or even by their intellectual contributions. But do you really get to know them well? Do they know you? What have you really learned from one another? In a class I took this past spring, I really only learned from two other students. Most of what I obtained was from the professor, the assignments and from processing discussions with non class members over "Margarita Mondays" - a weekly discipleship group so dubbed by a table top weekly promotion card at our local gathering spot.

On line learning allows for everyone to participate and in fact, requires it. Everyone has a voice and every voice is considered. I have found them all to be valuable, especially when they interact as many interesting things surface that would never come to be in a classroom of 25 or 30 (or even 12-15). The time given the reflections and contributions makes them more thoughtful and deep. A certain level of intimacy develops. I may not know these people by their body language but I know what is important to them. I know where they are on their journey to understand certain texts. I know how the information is going to influence their ministries and how they personally interact with others who are important to them. I have learned about many of their passions. I know more about how they understand God and what they think God knows about them. And I have learned this about every single one of them.

It is indeed humbling and I thank God as I am privileged to witness it.