Masi is a reserved, yet engaging student attempting to take this course for a second semester.  She entered the course early, posted one item to the Discussion Section in Module I and then shut down and disappeared from my notice for almost two months. Early in April, my supervisor, Dr. Karen Swan mentioned to me that she had met Masi in a professional development fair for Masters Students at the Campus Center. She indicated that Masi was eager to meet with me. She also indicated that she was having a unique difficulty engaging the syllabus. She mentioned that Masi would e-mail me to set up some time with me to meet personally

She finally got in touch with me a few weeks later in an e-mail posting. We set up some time the next week. She introduced herself to me quite late on in the semester for this course, ETAP526, from the SUNY Learning Network (SLN). She was familiar quite shy. In fact, we met for less than a half an hour for three weeks in a row. She was very formal at first. In fact, she left the office completely and waited all the way at the far hallway door, 50 feet from my office any time I was distracted by a phone call or a colleague's question. In the first appointment, she indicated to me that her prior cultural experiences in her native Japan had made it impossible for her to overcome the cultural barriers represented to her in this virtual cultural space which was our asynchronous classrooms.

Based upon the first interview (not recorded), I reflected for a few moments while Masi began to work in the syllabus as I watched. I told her at the end of our first session that I had someone in mind (Sheila) who was not only quite capable working the curriculum, but seemed eager to help others, as well. We decided that Masi and I would continue to meet informally once a week and that she would like to be introduced to Sheila (in person) as soon as possible. Masi was not averse to receiving help. She became more and more relaxed as the session progressed and expressed to me at the end how relieved she was and how much she looked forward to meeting me on the WEB...

She has quite impressive career plans, seeking a degree (on-line for the first time in the Fall99 from SLN) in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology (CDIT) in addition to the TESOL she has already earned (Spring98). Masi hopes to work as a developer of curriculum, perhaps in a textbook or CD-ROM development office. As such, she acknowledges her need for experience in Distance Learning and Multi Media Curricular Technology, as well as general communications skills. This course is essential for her career plans.

Across the sessions in which I worked with or near Masi, I found her to be quite sociable after having ample opportunity for making formal and informal acquaintances. Though quite reserved, I watched her make friends and become familiar with many students in the Lab, several quite well, one or two intimately enough to laugh and joke and to make time for one another out of class. She also had many friends at all levels of study in the School of Education, particularly among the foreign language speaking community.

I introduced Sheila in late April to Masi and asked if she would mind serving as a peer mentor for her. She readily agreed, though she mentioned that it would need to be soon or else her work on her thesis would be interfered.

They began working together on 4May99. Consequently, Masi has fully engaged the syllabus and hopes to finish by the end of May...
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