In a recent post, I described how much easier it was to meet with students while walking than while sitting. The content of the meetings stayed the same. I met with them after my Academic Writing class to help them with their writing.
I asked my students what they thought of these meetings. They had three complaints:
1. I walked too fast.
2. It wasn’t so easy to avoid bicycles and listen to me at the same time.
3. It was cold.
I told them that I found the meetings less tiring. They did not notice this.
I considered walking inside the teaching building but it turned out to be too dark. Instead, we walked outside the building in a nearly-deserted alley (solving Complaint #2). I walked more slowly (colving Complaint #1). I couldn’t do anything about Complaint #3.
The students could choose the length of the meetings. Last week all five of them chose 15 minutes. After 1 hour and 15 minutes of walking meetings, I felt entirely refreshed. As if I had done no work at all.
Seems interesting that they did not notice a difference in fatigue. Could be the gift of being in one’s early 20s perhaps.
Also correct me if I’m wrong but they are taking notes, walking and talking. That’s challenging.
Seth: They don’t take notes.
> Seems interesting that they did not notice a difference in fatigue.
> Could be the gift of being in one’s early 20s perhaps.
If I understand the situation correctly, then we’re comparing 1 hour and 15 minutes of meetings (Seth) to 15 minutes (student). It seems to me that the shorter duration (i.e. less tiring) could well explain why the students didn’t notice much of a difference between walking and sitting meetings.