Performance_Cyberspace

Dr. Diane Howard's Publications, Presentations

Performance: Translation, Transition,
and Transformation in Cyberspace

Copyright © 2001
Diane Howard, Ph.D.

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Department of Communication and Dramatic Arts
Performance Studies Division

Presented at the Performance Studies International Conference, Mainz, Germany, March, 2001
and accompanied by video documentation discussed by Stan Dyer, Ph.D.

Today there is great debate concerning the effectiveness of distance education, communication, and performance. Most of this divide is based on opinion and limited experience, evidence, and research. Frequently educators, communicators, and performers with limited experience in the use of distance technology resist it and argue that it depersonalizes, dehumanizes, and prohibits socialization. On the other hand, those educators, communicators, and performers with more experience in using distance technology believe and argue that it can enhance education, communication, performance, and socialization in qualitatively unique ways. Professor Edna Aphek, who lives in Jerusalem, Israel, experienced a dream come true in Kamrat, a virtual, multicultural, learning community. She witnessed Israeli and Arab youths learning together without hostility prejudice in a virtual world called Kamrat. The interactions of these young people fostered meaningful, bonded relationships, which later extended into their real worlds. (Aphek, 2000)

Communication, education, and performance in cyberspace can uniquely and powerfully facilitate insights, communication, and connection between performers and audience members involved in distance interactions. Like other cyberspace proponents (e.g. Palloff, 1999), Dr. Stan Dyer and I contend that the equalizing, leveling, anonymous, and disembodying aspects of distance interactions may be major facilitating factors. We also argue that strong visual images, multi-media elements, and skillful interactive facilitation and moderating techniques can enhance the uniquely personalizing, humanizing, socializing, and even potentially therapeutic effects of distance education, communication, and performance (Howard, 2001).

Advocates of distance education contend that cyberspace provides potential enrichment for students all over the world. The virtual world provides mobility and portability, supplemented by electronic multimedia. It provides virtual mobility in terms of collaborative, computer-mediated communication among people around the globe. Discussions can be interactive, while taking place across national borders and across time zones. Proponents of distance communication, education, and performance value the mobility and portability that cyberspace provides. Most obstacles specific to real mobility, are absent in cyberspace. Through virtual mobility, collaborative links become even more efficient. Teaching and communication content is also more portable. It can be transferred more easily into different cultural contexts in a global setting. Students all over the world are rapidly adopting information and communication technological skills by participating in internet communication. This is due in part
to the informality of internet communities. Virtual learning communities and the contents related to them are constantly developing and expanding. Cyber communities are creating new cultures facilitated by emerging technological possibilities and norms.

Dr. Stan Dyer, our videoconference participants, and I have personally and consistently experienced the humanizing, personalizing, and socializing effects of translating and transforming performance from on-site, visceral ones to distance, virtual ones. We are convinced that videoconferencing is a wonderful tool to connect and to provide accessibility to information and education for people at remote sites; however, they are also convinced
that videoconferencing provides something qualitatively unique and humanizing to communication interactions.

Videoconferencing can provide up-close and personal connections. Although participants at all sites are visible via cameras, there is still an atmosphere of anonymity, which seems to facilitate more vulnerable, open, transparent, and subjective interactions. It seems that participants are somewhat disembodied and that their minds, souls, and spirits can connect vitally in the virtual world. Communicating in cyberspace seems more disembodied and spiritual than that of the visceral world. The virtual world is not limited by time and space. While involving interactions between multiple times and places at once; it can, at the same time, unify minds, spirits, and souls in those various places and times. Videoconferencing can be far more than just an educational or informational tool. The world of cyberspace provides a unique, powerful, virtual world, where human spirits can meaningfully connect and bond. This virtual world is less confining, restricting, and inhibiting than the visceral world. It is very easy and natural to address spiritual, subjective, and personal issues in cyberspace.

For three years my African American performance studies students, community associates, and I have been performing long-distance over videoconferencing equipment to Dr. Dyer's African American history students. They have been performing autobiographical stories about themselves and great, African American role models (Howard, 1999). Their performances are subjective in nature, having been developed from primary, personal sources. These autobiographical productions, which are followed by discussions facilitated by Dr. Dyer and myself at different sites, have been part of a qualitative and quantitative research project. Qualitatively we have been observing and recording video documentation and evidence of the quality of the performances and interactions of students at all remote sites of the cyberspace experience. The virtual world has seemed to facilitate the connection between the minds, souls, and spirits of those at various sites.

Sometimes other distance classes have joined our distance groups. Students and professors at all sites of the videoconferences been able to discuss potentially, highly volatile racial topics following performances. They have found the long-distance, virtual interactions are usually calm, thoughtful, and objective. They have observed that both performers and audience responders seem more honest, vulnerable, and transparent than on-site. Over-reactions have seemed minimized and discussions have seemed more fruitful and productive (Howard, 1999). In every videoconference We have witnessed participants easily and freely interchanging about subjective, personal, spiritual matters and applications in relationship to the stories and discussions. Our video evidence presents the humanizing, vulnerable, productive, and therapeutic transactions they have witnessed, during their videoconference performances and discussions.

Quantitatively, we have been collecting statistical evidence of the relationship of African American role models presented over videoconferencing and locus of control in audience members in Dr. Dyer’s African American history classes. Our study was based on a review of relevant scholarly literature (Howard, 2001). The historic characters being performed present an array of African Americans who encountered, and in most cases overcame adversity, throughout American history. The presenters are performing and participating in discussions via videoconferencing with the college student audiences following the performances. All audience member subjects participating in this study are pre-tested and post-tested with a locus of control scale and with a role model questionnaire. Subjects have ranged in age from 18 to 56, have been married and single, and have been freshmen-seniors. Preliminary evidence has supported the two quantitative hypotheses: locus of control is a changeable variable and there is a relationship between identification of role models and internal locus of control. (We are now working on a future, quantitative modification of our research project, which is to compare interactions in on-site and distance performances and discussions.)

Thus, we have been qualitatively and quantitatively collecting and documenting evidence, which supports our qualitative and quantitative hypotheses: translating and transforming performances in cyber-space facilitates humanizing and personalizing transactions and there is a relationship between role models presented through virtual performances and locus of control in audience members.

We have some major agreements with online educators and researchers. One agreement is that modeling expected behavior is very important in distance education of all kinds. However, they see value in videoconferencing that transcends that of text-based, online, education, communication, and art. Because of the text-based nature of online classes, those who prefer written communication are often more communicative, open, and vulnerable than oral communicators, who sometimes feel constrained in the text-based environment. Further, videoconferencing provides visual, kinesthetic, and sound cues in synchronous communication that are lacking in online education and communication.

We believe that various kinds of on-line education are preferred by many educators over videoconferencing due to the cost, training needed, discomfort with on-camera exposure for presenters etc. However, the humanizing, personalizing, and therapeutic potential of videoconferencing, when facilitated and moderated skillfully, is worth the financial costs and effort necessary in terms of training and practice, especially for marginalized populations (females, minorities, physically challenged, people in remote locations etc.).

Distance teaching often requires extra time investment and ongoing, professional training of staff. Teachers have to give more control to students. Virtual communication is much more informal and students are freer to respond and work more independently. Instructors need to be more personal and empathetic in distance education. They need to help students find their own paths through the highways of cyberspace. Teachers need to assist students to organize their own ideas. However, the benefits of communication in cyberspace, especially via videoconferencing, are worth all the necessary adjustments and costs.

REFERENCES

Almquist E. M., and Angrist,S. S. ( 1962). Careers and Contingencies. Amherst: University of Massachusetts.

Almquist E. M., and Angrist,S. S. (1971). Role model influences on college women's career aspirations. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 17, 263-279.

Anderson, R. & Ramsey, P. (1990). Women in Higher Education: Development Through Administrative Mentoring. In L B. Welsh (ed.), Women in Higher Education: Changes and Challenges (pp. 283-285). New York: Praeger.

Angle, J. & Wissman, A. (1981). Gender, college major, and earnings. Sociology of Education, 64(2), 25-33.

Aphek, E. (2000). Sharing Knowledge and Bridging Gaps: Children Teaching Children Computer
Skills.

Astin, A. W. (1975). Preventing Students from Dropping Out. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.

Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: a developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.

Astin, H. S. (1978). Women and Achievement: Occupational Entry and Persistence. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association.

Bandura, A. (1965). Influence of models: Reinforcement contingencies on the acquisition of imitative responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1, 598-595.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. & Walters, R. (1963) Social Learning and Personality Development, New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

Baruch, G. (1972). Maternal influence upon college women's attitudes toward women and work. Developmental Psychology, 6, 32-37.

Basow, S. A. & Howe, K. G. (1980). Role model influence: Effects of sex and sex-role attitude in college students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4, 553-572.

Bean, J. P. (1982). Student attrition, intention, and confidence: Interaction effects in a path model. Research in Higher Education, 17, 37-50.

Bell, A. P. (1970) Role modelship and interaction in adolescence and young adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 2 , 123-128.

Berger, J. (1990). Pessimism in air as schools try affirmative action. New York Times, 27, B1.

Betz, N. E. & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1987). The Career Psychology of Women. Orlando: Acad. Press.

Canes, B. & Rosen, H. (1995) Following in her footsteps? Faculty gender composition and women's choices of college majors. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48, 486-503.

Collison, G.. Elbaum, B., Haavind, S. & Tinker, R. (2000) Facilitating Online Learning: Effective Strategies for Moderators. Madison: Atwood Publishing.

Daymont, T. & Andrisani, P (1984). Job preferences, college major, and the gender gap in earnings. Journal of Human Resources, 18(1), 408-428.

Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsic Motivation. New York: Plenum Books.

Deaux, K. & Emswiller, T. (1974). Explanations of successful performance on sex linked tasks: what is skill for the male is luck for the female. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 29, 123-136.

Deaux, K. & Farris, E. (1974) Attributing Causes for One's Performance: The Effects of Sex, Norms, and Outcome. Unpublished manuscript, Purdue University, Purdue.

Deaux, K. & Taynor (1973). Evaluation of male and female ability: Bias works two ways. Psychological Reports, 32, 261-262.

deCharms, R. (1972). Personal causation training in the schools. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2, 95-113.

Douvan, E. (1976) The role of models in women's professional development. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1, 5-19.

Douvan, E. & Adelson (1966). The Adolescent Experience, New York: Wiley.

Dowling, T.H. & Frantz, T. (1975) The influence of facilitative relationship on imitative learning. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 259-263.

Dweck, C. S. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41, 1040-1048.

Ehrenberg, R. (1995). Role models in education. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48, 482-485.

Ehrenberg, R., Goldhaber, D., & Brewer, D. (1995) Do teachers' race, gender, & ethnicity matter? Evidence from NELS. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48, 547-561.

Erlund, C. J. (1984). Human Potential Seminar: It's Effects Upon Grade Point Average and Other Selected Characteristics of Community/Junior College Students, Doctoral dissertation, E. Texas University, Commerce.

Fox, G. L. (1974). Some observations and data on the availability of same-sex role models as a factor in undergraduate career choice. Sociological Focus, 7 (4), 15-30.

Fry, P.S. (1975) Interaction between locus of control, level of inquiry, and subject control in the helping process: A laboratory analogue study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 280-287.

Goldstein, E. G. (1979). The effect of same-sex and cross-sex role models upon the subsequent academic productivity of scholars. American Psychologist, 34, 407-410.

Harman, Lucinda (1997). Life Skills Evaluation, Bell County Network for Educational Technology, BellNet.

Horner, M. ( 1970). Femininity and Successful Achievement: A Basic Inconsistency. In. Bardwick, et al (eds.) Feminine Personality and Conflict (pp.45-76). Belmont: Brooks/Cole.

Howard, Diane "The Relationship of Internal Locus of Control and Role Models in Female College Students." Ph.D. diss., University of Texas at Austin. [Online] Available http://www.dianehoward.com/Dissertation.htm, 1996.

Howard, Diane. Autobiographical Writing and Performing: An Introductory, Contemporary Guide to Process and Research in Speech Performance. [Online] Available http://www.dianehoward.com/publication.htm, 1999.

Howard, Diane. Empowering Students of Color By Involvement in Ethnic Distance Communication Research. Available http://www.dianehoward.com/empowering_students_of_color_by_.htm, 2001.

Howard, Diane. Autobiographical Writing and Performing [Online] Available http://ali.apple.com/events/mhb2/, 2001.

Jacobs, J. A. (1985). Sex Segregation in American Higher Education. In L. Larwood, A. Stromberg, & B. Gutek (eds.) Women and Work: An Annual Review (pp. 191-214). Beverly Hills: Sage.

Joe, V. C. (1971). External-internal control construct as a personality variable. Psych. Reports, 28, 19-640.

Kirkpatrick, J. (1974) Political Women. New York: Basic Books.

Lefcourt, H. M. (ed.) (1981). Research with Locus of Control: Vol. 1. Assessment Methods. New York: Academic Press.

Lefcourt, H. M. (ed.) (1983). Research with Locus of Control: Vol. 2. Development and Social Problems. New York: Springer.

Lefcourt, H. M. (1966). Internal vs. external control.. Psychological Bulletin, 65 (4), 206-220.

Lentz, L. (1980). The college choice of career-salient women: Coed or women's? Journal of Educational Equity and Leadership, 1, 28-35.

Lyson, T. (1981). The changing sex composition of college curricula: A shift-share approach. American Research Journal, 18(4), 503-511.

Maccoby, E. & Jacklin, C. (1974). The Psychology of Sex Differences. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Maehr, M. L. & Archer, J. (1985). Motivation and school achievement. Washington D. C.: Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 265 938)

Marlatt, G., Jacobson, et al. (1970). Effect of exposure to a model receiving evaluative feedback upon subsequent behavior in an interview. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 34, 103-122.

McLure, G. T. & Piel, E. (1978). Career-bound girls and science careers: Perceptions of barriers and facilitating factors. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 12, 172-183.

Mink, O. G. & Watts, G. E. (1977). Reality therapy and personalized instruction: A success story. Community/Junior College Research Quarterly, 1, 389-396.

Myrick, R. D. (1969). Effect of a model in counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 16, 185-190.

Oates, M. J., & Williamson, S. (1978). Women's colleges and women achievers. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 3 (4), 800.

O'Donnell, J. Anderson, D. G. (1978). Factors influencing choice of major and career of capable women. Vocational Guidance Quarterly, 26, 214-221.

Palloff, R & Pratt, K. (1999) Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Pantages, T. J. & Creedon, C. F. (1978). Studies of college attrition: 1950-1975. Review of Educational Research, 48, 49-101.

Pascarella, E. T. & Chapman, D. W. (1983). A multi-dimensional path analytical validation of Tinto's model of college withdrawal. American Education Research Journal, 20, 87-102.

Polachek, S. (1978) Sex differences in college major. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 31(4), 498-508.

Ramist, L. (1981). College student attrition and retention. College Board Report, 81 (1). New York.

Rossi, A. S. (1965) Barriers to the career choice of engineering, medicine, or science among American women. In

Mattfeld, J. & Van Aken, C. (eds.) Women and Scientific Professions. M. I. T. Press.

Rothstein, Donna. (1995) Do female faculty influence female students' educational and labor market attainments? Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48, 515-546.

Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monograhs, 80, (1 Whole No. 609).

Rotter, J. B. (1971). Clinical Psychology, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Roueche, J. E. & Mink, O. G. (1976). Locus of Control and Success Expectancy (A Self Study Unit). Manchaca: Sterling Swift Publishing Company.

Solnick, S. (1995). Changes in women's majors from entrance to graduation at women's and coeducational colleges. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48, 505-514.

Spence, J. T. & Helmreich, R. (1972). The attitudes toward women scale: An objective instrument to measure attitudes toward the rights and roles of women in contemporary society. Journal Supplement Abstract Service, 3, 66(a).

Stone, G. & Jackson, T. (1975). Internal-external control as a determinant of effectiveness of modeling and instructions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 294-298.

Strain, B. (1993). Locus of Control, Achievement Motivation and Selected Variables as Predictors of Persistence for Low-Achieving Students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Austin.

Teglasi, H. (1978). Sex-role orientation, achievement motivation,and causal attributions of college females. Sex Roles, A Journal of Research, 4, 381-397.

Tidball, M. E. & Kistiakowsky, V. (1976). Baccalaureate origins of american scientists and scholars. Science, 193, 646-652.

Tidball, M. E. (1985). Baccalaureate origins of entrants into American medical schools. Journal of Higher Education, 56 (4), 385-402.

Tidball, M. E. (1986). Baccalaureate origins of recent natural science doctorates. Journal of Higher Education, 57 (6), 606-620.

Tidball, M. E. (1976). Of men and research: The dominant themes in American higher education. Journal of Higher Education, 47, 373-89.

Tidball, M. E. (1973) Perspective on academic women. Educational Record, 54, 130-135.

Tidball, M. E. (1974). The search for talented women. Change, 6, 51-54, 64.

Tidball, M. E. (1976). Wellesley women in science. Wellesley Alumnae Magazine, 59, 1-3.

Tidball, M. E, (1980). Women's colleges and women achievers revisited. Signs, 5(3), 504-517.

Tinto, V. (1987). Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Walker, A. & Kuk, L. (1990). Aspirations, Choices, Realities: College Women Ten Years Later. In L. B. Welsh (ed.), Women in Higher Education: Changes and Challenges (pp. 20-26). New York: Praeger.

Walker, A. (1984) Changes in female career goals and attitudes during college. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.

Weiner, B. (1986). An Attributional Theory of Motivation and Emotion, New York: Springer-Verlag.

Weiner, B. (1974). Cognitive Views of Human Motivation, New York: Academic Press.

Weiner, B.(1979). Human Motivation, New York: Springer-Verlag.

Weiner, B. (1972). Theories of Motivation: From Mechanism to Cognition. Chicago: Rand McNally.

Weiner, B. (1978). Achievement Motivation and Attribution Theory. Morristown: General Learning Press.

Who's Who, Inc. (1976). Who's who in America. Chicago: Marquis.

Who's Who, Inc. (1969). Who's who in American women. Chicago: Marquis.