Talk:Using Fan Fiction and Instructional Conversation to Increase Student/Text Involvement

Instructor comments on your draft units -- Jianwei Zhang 21:24, 28 November 2010 (EST)

Great to see these drat units created. You've put together rich information and resources to support the identified learning objectives. To help you further improve this mini-course, I'd like to share a few thoughts for your consideration:

1. Engaging and motivating your learners/participants: The learners/participants will be general teachers (not graduate students like you) who need to be motivated to engage in systematic learning of a topic. To make this course more relevant and interesting, you may think about adding a specific example (e.g., transcription/video of instructional conversations, a piece of fan fiction writing) in the beginning of a unit to anchor the subsequent reading , with more examples incorporated after/as a part of the readings to ease and expand understanding. This way, your learners will be able to better connect the readings to specific examples and experiences.
2. Create progressive chains within each unit to facilitate understanding: It is fine and helpful to cite and use external resources such as articles to read. You need to make clearer what progressive issues these readings help to address (e.g. what is fan fiction, what benefits it may bring to the classroom, how to use it...), highlight how these issues correspond the readings, and create an overview / summary in for lengthy information you're citing. Doing so will help elaborate and refine the progressive learning path within each unit and increase interactivity.

-- Sue Rappazzo 20:35, 29 November 2010 (EST)

Hi Christina, I have learned what fan fiction is by viewing your course. Thank you! I thought the design and layout were both clear and concise. The information is to the point. I realize your audience is teachers and accustomed to learning by reading, but I feel that a variety of media could be used to stimulate interest and learning. There was a picture on your homepage and I wonder why you did not add another on each of your modules to grab the learners attention. I always try to be aware of the many learning styles we encounter. I hope this is helpful. Sue

Discussion Opportunities? -- Vivian Richelsen 13:04, 4 December 2010 (EST)

Being that your audience is educators, it would be nice to see an opportunity in each unit for the people taking this course to share their findings. Much like we are able to do in our classes, it is often quite helpful for participants to be able to share their findings, challenges, and also any shortcuts, or helpful hints that they have found, especially when using new technology. Even in this course (ETAP623), we have tried many different types of applications - and if I encountered a problem, it was nice just knowing that I wasn't the only one experiencing the difficulties. I would never have known I wasn't the only one if we didn't have the opportunity for sharing through discussion.

I'd also second the comments that have been mentioned in regards to providing a more engaging environment. Otherwise you have a very well thought out program here.