Integrating New Media in the Composition ClassroomFostering Collaboration and Student-Centered Critical Thinking

What is New Media Anyway?

Collaboration and New Media

Possibilities of New Media

“Teachers create social structures in which students learn to take over the authority for learning as they gain the ability and confidence to do so.” ---Kenneth Bruffee

Effective Collaboration

“Technological literacy reinforces the value of teaching students to think of themselves not just as critics but as designers of knowledge.” --- Cynthia Selfe

Why New Media?

Recorded history of discussions for later reflection and analysis

Commentary and discussion on works-in-progress

The Ability to reach outside the physical limitations of a classroom environment

A Few Other RewardsPower dynamics have the ability to shift

Real time (and public) interaction may encourage for thoughtful interactions

Instructors are able to interact with students in a de-centered way. Students are able to interact outside of their classroom identity.

Possibility of empowering students who may be “experts” regarding certain platforms (or delegating such roles to students)

Time to reflect before responding

Because of our current technological culture, students may feel more comfortable interacting with their peers and with an instructor via electronic means.

New Media Platforms

Blogs:

Uses: Journals, Discussion, Course housekeeping, Collaboration forum, Research Starting pt, Exploration of rhetorical choices, Portfolio Presentation.

Wikis:

Uses: Discussion and collaboration forum, portfolio presentation, workshops/ peer reviews, and private conferences.

Facebook:

Uses: Student/Student & Instructor/Student communication, brainstorming, sharing of resources and media.

Twitter:Uses: Research via tracking scholars/ words/ phrases/ institutions, discussion forum, sharing of resources, brainstorming notepad, community formation, synthesizing ideas/ making connections, interviewing tool, creation/invention tool.

Second Life:Uses: Space for more physical and interactive activities, explorations of rhetoric of identity/ audience/ physical space, explorations of interactive text, discussion and collaboration forum, recording of discussions (voice, text, and/or video), research via exploration/interviews/ visiting campuses of other universities, libraries, museums etc, creation projects (i.e. billboards/ ads).

“There’s something about spatial connection and a sense of being somewhere that seems to build personal connection that doesn’t take place as easily with 2D tools such as Skype. Second Life simulates face-to-face interaction while incorporating new levels of interactivity” – Profdan Netizen

“Someone said to me that when you visit a build that isn’t in use when you visit, you can’t fully see the intentions of its creators” – Logos Sohl

“I think one of the powerful aspects of reading and creating literature in this medium is the way you can remove the purely linear nature of written text and allow students to explore in any direction.” --- Csteph Submariner

“Have a basic project for first-timers. That way they can have a positive experience right away.” – LoCE99CH8

Considerations Ask yourself why you want to integrate new media with a lesson or course.

Consider Institutional capabilities, limitations, and policies. [Note: Always be prepared to make a case to peers, students, and your superiors.]

Consider the background of your students.

Do research and be well-prepared.

Moderate and guide activities.

Be sure to reflect on the new media activity (Create obvious links to the lesson/course).

Sample ActivityAssignment: Second Life Scavenger Hunt

Course Goal: Understanding “Literacy” as it applies to

gaining knowledge/language in accessing a community/

institution. Secondary goals: Team building/ collaboration,

creating a foundation for using new media in the course,

and general ice breaking.

Description: After students complete an orientation of Second Life, they will increase their literacy of this immersive environment by searching the virtual world in small groups for “note cards” containing paragraphs of a literacy narrative. Each “note card” also contains “landmark” coordinates to another location in addition to clues as to the specific location of the next note card. Once students have gathered the complete essay/story, they then must work together at a class rendezvous location to compile the story in some kind of coherent order. There may be more than one way to organize the essay and some additional writing may be needed to link together sections. After all groups have compiled their pieces, the instructor should moderate a discussion regarding the definition of literacy as it pertains to the Unit 1 assignment and how becoming acquainted with Second Life is an applicable example of gaining literacy. In addition, the discussion should address the construction of the literacy narrative from note cards and the logic behind the order each of the groups chose. This exercise will help students understand literacy in the context of English 101 as well as the flexibility of narratives (esp. open form prose).

Sample ActivityAssignment: Billboard Creation and SL Presentation

Course Goal: Understanding visual and verbal/textual

rhetoric, the role of audience, and the rhetoric of spaces.

Secondary goals: team building/collaboration, practice

with SL and other online media as well as additional

software (optional).

Description: Having already been introduced to Second Life during the literacy narrative unit, your students should have a basic understanding of how to navigate virtual environments. This assignment will focus on acquiring creation skills within Second Life for the purposes of understanding rhetorical strategies in advertisements. Working in groups, students will create an original billboard advertisement for either an established product/service or one for one of their own creation. In addition to creating an ad, students must choose a location in Second Life in which to place the ad (if only temporarily). Groups must then present the rational behind the rhetorical strategies of their ad and their choice of location. This exercise is designed to help students recognize angle of vision, rhetorical strategies, and how audience, venue/market, and physical space play a role in determining perception.