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kw
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n. pl. col·lo·qui·ums or col·lo·qui·a (-kw-)
col·lo·quy (k-)
1. An informal meeting for the exchange of views.
2. An academic seminar on a broad field of study, usually led by a different lecturer at each meeting.
l-kw)
n. pl. col·lo·quies
1. A conversation, especially a formal one.
2. A written dialogue.
Dictionaries don't solve real problems and I instantly hate papers that begin with dictionary definitions. So with that understanding...
It would be nice if Collo were actually more of a colloquium, with a bit more colloquy.
I'm not sure how to make that happen. In its current incarnation, the current events requirement seems to get closest to this, but I'm not sure it does a particularly good job of it. The informal round table discussions we had were fairly successful, I think, and we could do more of those, and in general, expand the discussions to a wider range of topics. Maybe we can redefine 'current events' as anything that currently interests you. But the logistics of doing that with 160 people are a problem.
This is an area where moving things online seems to be a good solution, and in part we do that with the D2L discussion boards. I don't think they quite work, though. I take at least partial responsibility for that. I hate D2L. Passionately. That probably keeps me from trying harder to improve things on D2L. But more than that, I think the format is not particularly conducive to real engagement.
So I like the idea of the discussion boards in theory. There exist plenty of vibrant online communities where really good discussions take place. I have no problem with online colloquy. But we need a better avenue for that. Suggestions welcome. It doesn't have to be one place or one thing. Everyone doesn't have to participate. Ideally these would be discussions initiated and led by you and driven by your interests, and hopefully we end up with pockets of good, engaging, ongoing discussions on a variety of issues and topics.
For those who want more of Collo to be online, here's your chance. How do we make this happen?
I honestly think that the people that are dying for Collo to be online are still in the mindset of the old style of Collo where the classes and assignments are the same each year, and thereby they offer nothing new to the students. With a revamped style of Collo where there are different requirements, it will feel like less of a repeat, and therefore would be at least a step removed from the Collo Online track.
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