Category Archives: rhetorics-and-teaching

Adventures in E-Learning

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Poynter writes in a recent newsletter about the succes of online training (read: e-learning) of journalists.
The online training takes place at NewsU and boasts more than 14.000 students from 157 countries.
According to the FAQ the teaching uses a blend of learning and teaching modes:

  1. Self-Directed Learning Modules. (In e-learning language, they’re called “asynchronous” modules.) These are the ultimate in e-learning flexibility. Participants can start and stop whenever they like, progressing entirely at their own pace and going back as many times as they want to review the material. The modules make use of interactive technology, so they’re more engaging than a mere collection of Web pages.
  2. Group (or “semi-synchronous”) Seminars. Participants gather in a virtual space, logging in from anywhere, day or night, over the course of several days or several weeks. A faculty member guides the group through new material, moderates discussions and provides individual feedback.
  3. eSeminars (“synchronous” modules). These are live seminars or events broadcast over the Web; participants can tune in from their computer at work or at home and ask questions in real-time. And if they can’t join us live, we make recordings of these seminars available as self-directed learning modules.

Rhetorics and composition wiki

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Kairosnews really has some cool links today. I this case an open invitation to comment or review a wiki on rhetorics and composition.
How I wish that this was possible all those (4) years ago, when online collaboration was passing emails and attachments around…

Weblogs og skrivedidaktik

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Da jeg skrev mit speciale i slutningen af 2003, var jeg utroligt opslugt af emnet og håbede at jeg kunne skabe noget ud fra den viden jeg havde samlet i specialet. Jeg så mig selv i rollen som rådgiver og udvikler i forhold til at bruge weblogs og andre appikationer på nettet til at styrke og udvikle samarbejdet mellem flere individer. Nu arbejder jeg med optimering af tekstflader og indhold på websites og synes det er gevaldig spændende. Men et kursus i kreativitet og blandt andet dette indlæg gjorde mig opmærksom på at viden og idéer i skuffen ikke gavner andet end min frustration over at de ikke kommer ud i verden.
Nu er jeg jeg kommet så langt at jeg kan slippe specialet og lægge ud til dem der måtte være interesserede i det. Læs, brug og spørg hvis det er.
Her er under alle omstændigheder: Abstract og bilag (400 kb).
Speciale: weblogs og skrivedidaktik (1,2 mb).
og en opgave i skrivedidaktik som specialet tog afsæt i: skrivediddaktik, cscl og weblogs (500 kb).

Dersom du dowloader og læser dette speciale, håber jeg du lægger en kommentar her eller på anden vis gør mig opmærksom på at mine darlings er kommet videre ud i verden :-) . Hvis det har videre interesse, rummer min gamle blog (som er i en sørgelig stand) en del af de tanker og oplevelser der opstod under skriveriet.

Repost: Thesis abstract

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This is the first of a hopefully exhausting round of reposting from my old weblog. First repost is the last post with my thesis abstract:

This thesis takes an analytic view on the potential use of weblogs as a tool in teaching writing, with an offset in weblogs as a platform for the collaboration of writing groups. Furtermore, this thesis surveys the general recommendations in writing pedagogy to find ways of combining weblog technology and writing pedagogy.
The first part of the thesis describes the weblog as a phenomenon in relation to general educational uses, and dissects the standardfuntions of the weblog to provide the reader with an introduction in and understanding of the technology upon which the weblog is based.
The second part very specifically analyses how the weblog as an Internet based tool of communication supports the writing group in relation to aspects such as feedback and revision of texts. Furtermore the thesis offers ideas on how to use weblogs as electronic portfolios and digital research papers as a tool to inspire the reflective student.
The thesis concludes that weblogs still cannot match the existing word-processing tools regarding revision and commenting on texts. Instead, the thesis offers some recommendations on and examples of the use of weblogs as a personal and collaborative learning tool.

Originally posted 15.12.2003

Update: The full thesis (in danish) is available for download along with its pilot project (also in danish).

ubiquitous argumentation

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Teaching a course in the use of Toulmins model of argumentation has the unexpected sideeffect that my brain wants to label the elements in any argument I encounter during the day. It feels like having a little voice whispering: claim, data, backing, rebuttal, etc. The effects may wear off, but right now my world is the rhetorical answer to the way Neo is able to see thhrough the code in the Matrix.
Scary… – I think they are coming to take me away, haha…