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Professors worried students will share lectures with 'right wing sites'
Jon Street
Managing Editor
@JonStreet
on Mar 19, 2020 at 12:42 PM EDTProfessors across the country are expressing concern over courses being moved online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
One professor expressed concern that "right wing sites" could expose what is being taught in college courses.Professors across the country are taking to social media to express their concern over being forced to deliver their course lectures online amid the coronavirus outbreak, sharing with each other tips on how to limit the number of people who are able to see what they're teaching students, and criticizing "right wing sites" and even Campus Reform, specifically.
Texas Christian University Associate Professor of Political Science Emily Farris tweeted Thursday, "if you are recording a lecture on anything controversial, be prepared for right wing sites to ask students to share it." Campus Reform reached out to Farris via Twitter Direct Messaging to allow her the opportunity to further explain her comments or to clarify. She later blocked the author of this article on Twitter.
LaSalle University Assistant Professor of Public Health Christen Rexing replied to Farris' tweet, asking why others could find topics such as "gun safety, women's health, elections, etc." to be "controversial, as they are "evidence-based."
"Seems like the flood gates could open," Rexing commented in response to courses moving online.
University of North Carolina political science graduate student Stephanie Shady also weighed in, saying, "Annnnd I just realized that the second half of my course focuses on public opinion towards and politicization of immigration. This will be interesting." Another user with the Twitter name "Prof CWO" replied "Sigh, I teach about white nationalism and this has been my biggest fear since we began transitioning to online instruction."
Columbia University political science professor Jeffrey Lax said he has been "thinking about" how students would be able to record classes.
Trinity College Associate Professor of Political Science Isaac Kamola who, as Campus Reform previously reported sought to hire a "Campus Reform Early Responder," specifically mentioned Campus Reform in his reply to Farris.
"If Campus Reform harasses you or someone you know, the best response is to 'follow the money.' Campus Reform receives $1.4 million from the Leadership Institute, a Koch-funded organization designed to delegitimize academics they consider too left. They are not a new [sic] source," Kamola tweeted.
A user whose website says they are a history professor at a "community college in North Texas" wrote, "I'm taking steps to limit this but nothing is foolproof."
Farris asked how Gunter was working to ensure her lectures are not made public, to which Gunter responded with one tip for her colleague.
"Instead of posting videos direct to LMS (which would then own them) I'm posting links to the videos on youtube. The videos themselves are 'unlisted' meaning you can't find them in a search or if you go to my page-only if you have the direct link. Doesn't stop link sharing though," Gunter said.
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=14563
So, here I am, trying to wrap my head around the fact that liberals FEAR the possibility of the public learning what they are teaching. Does that make any sense at all? If I want to shape the world, wouldn't I WANT more people to hear the word, to understand my thoughts and goals, and hopefully to get on board with my agenda?
Instead, we have liberals who FEAR the idea that their thoughts might go viral.
Imagine that. We might suspect that liberal college professors are actually just propaganda indoctrination technicians. Brainwash the kids while they are young, before they develop critical thinking skills, right?
(Score: 2) by lentilla on Sunday March 22 2020, @01:00PM
Well said. Holding knowledge secret is not a good thing. (Although I personally wouldn't publish "The Complete Beginner's Guide to Making Explosives In Your Own Kitchen".)
Perhaps my take on the matter is coloured. I am more than happy to oblige when asked to teach something - but if someone asks me to lecture into a camera lens to an unknown audience I will simply decline. (Well, not absolutely decline - but it will very much change my choice of delivery.)
It is hard to pin down exactly why I feel this way. Perhaps it is because I feel the need for a reciprocal arrangement where I can see those that I am teaching, learning the subject. Perhaps it is a need to open a dialogue. Perhaps it is just vanity. Hard to know.
I know I have little desire to be a TV presenter. If I am going to teach I want it to be part of a two-way process - otherwise I would simply write a book. So maybe that's the reason for feeling the way I do: if I want to learn something, I start reading. When and if I need further help I look for a teacher - that being someone I can interact with.
There is one additional element - and that regards feedback. I am more than happy to engage with students (after all, that is probably the best part of teaching). What I do not want to do is get heckled by anonymous mobs - which is something the Internet facilitates well. Given the assumption that I am teaching something valuable to a limited number of students, I don't want to be heckled by a much larger number of people who are interested only in causing trouble, with zero interest in seeking knowledge, and with no way to effectively engage with a meaningful dialogue with everyone.
So I don't believe I am promoting secret knowledge. There are particularly gifted "TV Educators" but I would not advocate forcing all teachers into that narrow specification. One of humanity's greatest attributes is our ability to pass on knowledge - and of those that have a special affinity to do so not every teacher (and not every student) is suited to broadcast learning.
Quite. Although in my case you'll have to take my word for it that I not trying to pull the wool over people's eyes - I simply want to pass on something they actually want to learn.