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Page history last edited by Haas 1 year, 8 months ago

Wikified Class Notes

This page has been created primarily as a resource for you. It is an interactive space for you to post class related information online. For example this is place to post class notes for benefit of all. A schedule will be established shortly.

Reasons for experimenting with the use of wikis in Literature, Rhetoric, and History of Roman Republic:

Many students take few notes in English class, unless emphatically instructed to do so. This is even more the case when class discussions turn to close reading of text. That leaves students:

unprepared for exams and essays
without a sense that there is a body of knowledge and methodology emerging during the class
slightly cynical about the purposes of class time

Class notes themselves are kind of an odd concept. Too often, we think of notes as private, individual or idiosyncratic, but if they’re too idiosyncratic, they might not be very accurate, or very useful.
What would always be useful is a set of class notes: Basically stating “This is what we agree happened on this day in class.“

Wikis turn out to be very good at creating and establishing documents that demonstrate this idea. Someone starts by uploading their notes, and other students can subsequently expand, revise, re-arrange, or otherwise improve the version, even potentially delete faulty items. Ultimately, the document can reflect something like a consensus about the day’s class. Better still, the page can be updated throughout the semester, as later class periods inform earlier ones.

Working in groups, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining a wiki page with notes for each class, for example.

Online notes should not simply transcribe what was on the board. Instead, you are responsible for the following:

Creating a 75-100 word statement of the main idea or unifying theme of the class.
Transcribing a passage(s) from the current text that we discussed in class, when it applicable, and explaining how it relates to the main idea.
Identifying any key terms from the class and providing definitions.
Finding three (3) or more links from reputable sources for further information, that, in some way, clarify, extend, or correct something that was said in class

View a Sample Page.

Some reflections on this idea/practice that can help both students and instructors:

It provides a real-time assessment of whether class made any sense for students.
It asks students to reflect on the day in class, and work together a little as a collective – thus establishing a commonly shared class project.
The assignment does make for dramatic late-semester review, when, a student is having trouble recalling material from earlier in the semester. It can be equally helpful for anyone who misses class for some reason. You can just call up the notes and say, “Look . . . we did this in class!”
It also makes each group implied experts on the content from their days. They have to look at the material enough that they can usually recall it pretty well in class.

From here, students can begin to formulate their own questions, create ready-made and accurate study guides, or almost any other helpful class related tool.