GEORGE VASCIK INTRODUCTION FOR FACULTY TO THIS GROUP WRITING ASSIGNMENT In my upper division history classes, I have three goals: to have my students acquire specific, period-related content knowledge; to have them learn to evaluate and analyze various forms of historical evidence; and to develop skills to effectively convey that analysis in written and spoken formats. In the past several semesters, I have experimented with various forms of semester-long group projects, which the groups present the last week of class. Fall semester, in my HST 301, “Age of Revolutions” class, for instance, we put the French Revolution on trial. I have found that these group projects are very exciting to the students: they put in tremendous amounts of effort and creativity, they develop enormous group élan, and they produce an intellectually stimulating product. As a result of my participation in the Center for Writing Excellence/CELT Workshop on Improving Student Writing in Content Courses, I have decided to format the project portion of my HST 332, Age of Dictators class along the lines one would use for a scaffolded long writing assignment. This scaffolding will feature intermediate written assignments of varying types and lengths, continuous peer assessment, and weekly instructor review of each student’s progress. The project will feature two concrete outcomes: a written paper/portfolio from each student and group presentations from the different trial teams. During my work on this assignment, I feel that I have learned ways to strengthen the intellectual rigor of my group project, while finding ways that will help my students participate in the project more diligently/rationally/effectively. What I have learned from this assignment, I must tell you, is only a portion of what I have learned in this workshop. I will be applying lessons in short assignments and rubric design as well. GEORGE VASCIK GROUP WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS HST332 Dictators’ Trial Project
Our class project is to put the two great dictators of the twentieth century—Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stain—on trial. We will have four teams: two separate teams to prosecute Hitler and Stalin for genocide and crimes against humanity, and two separate defense teams. Each of these four teams will be divided into research and artistic subgroups. Each team will elect a captain responsible for reporting to me weekly on their team’s progress. We will follow Nuremberg-style rules of conduct and evidence. I will be chief judge, assisted by two associate judges (fellow faculty members). We will decide what evidence is to be admitted and what is not. We will determine guilt or innocence and set the punishment. You will be provided time to meet as groups during our regular class meetings. To facilitate effective presentations, I have created the following signposts when specified pieces of work will be due. At each signpost, you will be asked to assess the quality and quantity of your own work and to assess that of your teammates. At the time of the final presentation, each student will also provide a final draft of their contribution to their team. In true Middle European bureaucratic fashion, be prepared to fill out and push a lot of paper!
In its entirety, this project is worth 20% of your grade. In arriving at that grade, I will take into account your self-assessments, the assessments of your performance by your team members, the assessments of your team captain and the quality of your final submission. |
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