Online Shakespeare: Beneficial Learning Experiences for Non-Majors

When studying Shakespeare’s plays, most undergraduates struggle with close reading, textual analysis, and interpretation. Engaging with and interpreting characterization, language, themes, imagery, dramatic devices, etc., are far outside the range of many students’ preparedness. Asynchronous online courses can exacerbate these declining levels of preparedness, can increase the intimidation students feel when studying Shakespeare, and can hinder close reading since students work individually, in different locations, and almost always at different times of the day. This exacerbation in an online class can increase further for non-majors, who usually have less practice reading Shakespeare’s plays, reading closely, and thinking and writing critically. Thus, the lack of an immediate, collaborative, audible, and visual academic community with its weekly meetings of robust discussions and individualized attention can be more problematic for non-majors. Despite these challenges, online Shakespeare courses can be especially beneficial to non-majors. This essay is a pedagogical reflection on how the “online-ness” of an asynchronous online Shakespeare course can help non-majors build confidence, overcome intimidation, and take ownership of their learning. It focuses on some of the resources, assignments, and best practices I have developed, designed, and used over the last 24 years of teaching Shakespeare online to create communities among students and among faculty and students, while building connections and fostering engagement of students to content.