The following are themes that emerged in student narratives of their experience with Ike. I analyzed the meaning of students’ blog entries in time as narratives of experience - that is, what it meant for students to be enrolled in an online course during hurricane Ike over time, from landfall through recovery, and including ongoing experience. Lisette and I then exchanged ideas back and forth to refine these basic themes into a meaningful form, the product of which is presented below in a sort of implied social narrative (mine in a list format and Lisette’s in a re-ordered narrative). These may not all speak to your individual experiences, but they do seem to cover the range of experiences of students in the course. And so, here they are, presented below, for whatever feedback, clarification, and elaboration that you can provide. We’ll take your feedback, from your own blogs (these make excellent food for thought in order to make up some of the posts for those of you who need to catch up) and from the comments attached to this post., and refine our analysis to produce a member-checked thematic analysis. In the end, this process should help give us an idea of how we can help students in similar circumstances in the future, ideally affecting program policy and educational practice at TWU.
Infrastructural problems
- Power
- Internet Access
- Transportation
"Discombobulated"
- Shellshocked/bombarded
- Disrupted sense of normalcy
- Anticipating return of normalcy
- Life turned upside down
Surviving
- Increased work demands/pressure
- Family needs and context
- Volunteer work
- Shifting priorities
- Property, insurance, money
- Pulled in a million directions
Classes on hold, but not really
- Unable to participate in classes
- Anger (Not explicit, but I noticed this in a few cases)
- Panic
- Instructors understanding
- Work accumulating, stress growing
- Treading water/catching up
Disconnection
- Losing touch with peers
- Groups moving on without you
- Need to re-engage
In evaluating the class blog entries during and subsequent to Hurricane Ike, several themes emerged that seemed to progress over time. Initially, there were the very real experiences with infrastructure loss including loss of power, loss of internet access, and difficulty with travel. Next, the survival theme emerged which included feelings of shifting priorities, increased work demands, money issues, family needs and concerns, goods/services procurement, and volunteering. At the end of the survival themed posts, the theme of course arrest and restart emerged which encompassed expressions of inability to participate, anger, panic, a growing sense of work accumulating, growing stress, attempts to catch up, disorganization, a concern for fellow students in similar circumstances, instructor understanding with adjustments being granted, feelings of losing touch with the class, classmates moving on or being ahead, and an overwhelming need to reengage with the class and return to normalcy. This last experiential theme seems to have been the most long-lasting and proved disruptive to the entire semester. Throughout each of the themes that developed from the initial disaster through the initial recovery process, the overarching theme that was presented was the feeling of bewilderment. This theme included feelings of shellshock, bombardment, disrupted sense of normalcy, and difficulty in making sense of lives turned upside down.
Please review these themes and offer your comments on your blogs regarding how well you think that these themes matched your experiences as an online graduate student during one of the worst disasters to hit the south
4 comments:
Hi Dr. Anderson,
Hurricane Ike was the most devastating event in my life. It made me feel how a refugee runs for shelter. But thank God for friends who gave us food and shelter. Technology class was a challenge as there was no access for several days. With the roof down with leaking all around, waiting for the insurance to appraise was even worse. Going to work from different homes, searching for belongings and trying to keep up with everything was very hard. Classes were on hold for a weak, but not really. Inability to reach class mates and keeping up with assignments were added challenges to survival.
Finally I am glad we are almost back to normal. I learned a lot how to handle adversity and still maintain calm as expected. I saw a great deal of anger, desperation and frustration at work. We tried to encourage everyone and help each other with schedule, food and any help as we could to the under previleged. I felt grateful that our lives were spared. I am an experienced person now who can understand others in the same situation. Dr. Sheriff was very understanding.
Mercy.
Hi Mercy! I admire your committment, perserverance, and courage. My hat is off to you. God bless you and your family. It takes a special person to see the good that can come from tragedy.
Janice.
Dr. Anderson,
I live north of Dallas and was not directly affected by Ike. The events preceding the storm (i.e. media coverage were informative and frighterning, but until several days after Ike was gone, the situation was very surreal. As time went on and the extent of the devastation was known, the reality of the magnitude of the disaster escaped me. By the grace of God, I have never been in a catastrophe such as Ike and could only attempt to imagine what others were experiencing both physically and emotionally.
The most direct impact was in one of my classes where a member of my group lived in Houston and was impacted directly. It made course work and participation very difficult for her for the entire semester. After power was semi-established and life began to return to a sense of normalcy, she had to deal with a child, new job,
classes, etc.
I lived vicariously through my classmate and was grateful I did not have to face the reality of the situation in person.
Barb
Mercy,
I applaud you! You have contributed high quality, informative comments consistently this semester through all the adversity that has come your way. I look forward to other classes with you!
Barb
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