RRRR Sequence (Online Participation)
For every assigned text in the course that gets its own item on the Outline page, including an article, a section from a book, or some other document, I am asking every student to use the RRRR sequence contribute to an online discussion.
First we will start out simply posting a comment to the appropriate page on the course website.
But once everyone has had some time to experiment with the SHU weblog system, I'm asking for everyone to employ the following four-step process, designed to prepare for a productive online discussion.
- Read the assigned text (or watch the video clip, etc.).
- React by posting an "agenda item" (see FAQ) to the personal weblog I have given you.
- The Agenda Item is a brief quotation from the assigned reading, and a brief statement of what you would talk about if called on in class.
- Once you have posted your blog entry, leave a comment on the course website that includes the quotation you chose, and a link to your blog entry.
- Respond to 2-4 items posted by your peers (that is, leave thoughtful comments on their blogs)
- Reflect on the reading in a 200-word informal reflection paper
- A brief summary of the author's main point.
(You won't need to outline every subsection or memorize all the names and facts for a quiz; you will need to demonstrate that you have read and understood the material, so writing down details that help you identify the author's controlling opinion is a good place to start.) - A quotation (with the page number) that raises an original point.
(Try to go beyond simply spotting a surprising fact, or a claim that you agree with or disagree with; look for a specific passage that made you think, and thus expanded your mind.)
- Your opinion about the point mentioned in #2.
(Why did you choose it? How does it relate to the author's main idea? Practice articulating your opinion, so that you'll be able to write persuasively about it.)
- Bring a printout of your reflection paper to class (I won't always collect it, but I will often call on you to read it)
- The reflection paper should name a classmate whose agenda item introduced you to a new thought or made your change your mind about something.
- You are encouraged, but not required, to post your reflection paper on your blog.
When
there is more than one page listing assigned readings for a day, I am
asking for you to do more than one RRRR sequence for that day. (At
first, I'll make sure to spell this out for you for each day, but
eventually I'm going to expect you to start initiating the RRRR
sequence on your own.)
Rather than counting the number of words on your blog, I'm interested in seeing you engage intellectually with the course content and your peers, whether you do that on your own blogs, on the course blog, or in the comments you leave on peer blogs.
The process of reading, reacting, responding, and reflecting is part of all critical thinking and writing. In our online community, we will practice, in an informal manner, the intellectual activity that goes into the production of a college-level research paper.
While your agenda items and lengthier reflections should be a little more formal, when you leave comments, don't worry too much about typos or grammatical mistakes. Feel free to use :) and LOL if you like.
