Progress report on my Hypertext project
Originally, I was assuming that this project would solely focus on pedagogy that incorporates the reading and discussion of hypertext in the writing classroom. I have found all kinds of information on that, as well as being inspired by some of our class discussions. But I have also been led to some information regarding class assignments that require students to develop hypertext of their own.
That was something I hadn't considered, which seems strange considering that we are allowed to create this project as a series of hypertextual links. Visual rhetoric is also being cited as integral to this type of study. That was put into greater context for me after Allison's book review.
I found this type of hypertextual assignment interesting because of the inevitableness that students must end up creating something that does not allow for one privileged interpretation. The assignments that I looked at took a possible topic/question, then asked students to create a hypertext with links to everything they could discover that related to the topic. Each web page had to deal with one idea. After all the raw data was collected, the students (a collaborative project) got together and discovered patterns in the information. Using those patterns, the students then used all the skills in visual rhetoric that they had learned in the class to create a complete hypertext linking these patterns into cohesive "arguments".
I haven't found a ton on this assignment usage of hypertext, so I'm not sure how much will be incorporated into my project. I wonder, though, how I might be able to use this knowledge even though I am not in a high-technology classroom. How much can I expect my students to already have in computer knowledge? How much can I expect them to do out of the classroom? How adept am I at the technology that I might create an appropriate assignment for my class? I'm thinking I should attempt the project myself before I ask any student to do it.
Right now, it is looking like my project will go into the reading and interpretation of hypertext, the use of hypertext assignments for students, the incorporation of visual rhetoric and how all this can fit into a pedagogy. I'm not sure if this is too much. Feel free to make your own comments and suggestions. I could use the advice!
posted by JC @ 3:14 PM
1 Comments:
First off, in terms of your research project, it sort of sounds like things are going fine and in a direction that makes a lot of sense. You know, you started one place, you did some research, you ended up someplace slightly different. That's the way these things are supposed to go. Anyway, I think the general direction you're going in is fine.
Now, the other part of this stuff, how much can you expect students to do with a lack of resources and if you yourself don't know much about it. It seems to me that the answer to that question is "not much." I mean, I'd like to recommend that folks do exciting web-based projects in first year writing classes here, but we don't have computer lab access, we can't assume that students know much more than the very basic things with computers, and there isn't a whole lot in the way of tech support for teachers. And besides that, the kinds of students we have in first year comp classes at EMU have some relatively "basic skills issues" that I think probably need to be addressed before they make web sites. Maybe more than you wanted, but...
Post a Comment
<< Home