Writing for Visual Thinkers is an e-book textbook. The book explores various relationships between writing and design, allowing students to incorporate various ideas and methods of writing into their work. The e-book format allows for dynamic media (such as podcast interviews, video and downloadable PDF exercises), to be easily accessed. The book is currently under development and this blog is intended to create a dialogue and share ideas for book content.
{Publisher: New Riders/AIGA Press}
Monday, November 26, 2007
Reading Critically
Has the notion of reading a text critically been undone by the skimming nature of the internet? How do you guide students to read critically?
I teach students about how to read, and provide a one-day workshop on what it means to read critically. Moreover, I have to teach them about research methods and the difference between primary and secondary sources when it comes to writing a research paper. In the 1990s I entered my undergraduate education, and learned about all of this in a mandatory library class. It was three weeks and I learned about Dewey Decimal versus LC call numbers, along with the above issues I mention here. But alas, it seems like such a class has gone the way of the dinosaurs since you can write a paper by 'screen-scraping' and editing content together using any word program. I am both astounded and disappointed that such topics have to be reinforced every term to my design students. As a result, I have instituted a research methods component to each class.
I’m looking back at what I’ve just written, and it’s a bit long. Sorry for that (can you tell I'm on break?). Tell me if I need to shorten up in the future. But one summation could be: Show Don’t Tell.
I will set very specific guidelines for each reading assignment. I tell them to come to class prepared to offer the class at least 4 passages (at least, at least, at least) from the assigned reading, and an articulate response to each of them that reveals an understanding and appreciation of the rest of the reading assignment (context). They can agree or disagree with their highlighted statements, but they must be able to articulate their opinion. I tell them to physically highlight the passages (if they don’t want to mark on their books, then they can makes copies of the pages).
In classes larger than 12 (the norm in undergrad), I break up the class into two groups, and we discuss the readings on separate days. The class that I do not meet with is required to provide a written strategy (emailed in advance) of what they will do for the 2.5 hour class session, whether it be research, thumbnails, type studies, color studies (depending on the stage of development the project is in) that best utilizes the time. I break large classes up for two reasons—to put those students who are hesitant to speak publicly more at ease, and to actively prevent any student from NOT participating. They’re aware that they are graded on their willingness to think out loud about what has been read.
Everyone must have their books at our discussion session, and we begin with each student reading one of their passages aloud (first telling everyone what page and where on the page). They read it aloud, then respond with their ‘informed’ opinions. We go around the table in this manner as a ‘first round’ that helps everyone get a sense of the larger picture. This is not rigidly set; sometimes I’ll allow a few short responses, other times I’ll suggest we move to the next person. The first round loosens everyone up, it gets everyone talking, and ‘feeling out’ their opinions and their grasp of the content.
I act primarily as a moderator for the early parts. I ask questions, sometimes to force them to clarify their thoughts, at other times as a sounding board; rephrasing their comments in a way that allows them to hear a different articulation of their stated logic. I ask them if my synopsis is a fair reflection of their own opinion. I remain neutral—refraining from overtly framing my own opinions. I simply ask questions, but the art of asking questions is a constantly daunting one, and no matter how many times I’ve discussed a reading (if it’s one that I deem worthy of being read for a few years in a row, for instance), the task of asking the right questions in order to keep everyone on their toes, and focused on what I understand as the most fertile arenas of discussion, is probably the most difficult and important task of any moderator.
As we go around the room, the conversation usually builds, and longer periods of discussion pass before I have to have someone bring us back to a highlighted passage. I happen to love differences of opinion. And I believe it is really the only vehicle for constructive discussion—a dialectic advancement of informed opinion. We hash out these differences, not with cliché diatribes, but with a ruthless break down of both sides of the argument to their core assumptions. So, much of the time, we are searching for those core, fundamental assumptions that eventually lead to how individual opinions are formed.
So, getting students to read critically is really about providing a forum to discuss the reading critically. Time has to be given to the discussion of reading assignments in order to reinforce their import, and the Professor has to be on spot, lest the students realize they can just babble out uninformed clichés for a few minutes and get away with it. And, yes, I know when they’re BSing, and (through pointed questions, and occasional reprimands if they’re necessary) I’ll let them know that I know. Usually, by the second reading assignment, all students are prepared; they know they have to be.
PS When I mentioned that the half of the class that I don't meet with has to email me a work agenda, I didn't mean to say that they can take the class off. On the contrary, they show up to 'work' and they are required to do their proposed work in class. the reading group shuffles off to an adjoining room.
This semester I gave juniors two pages from Joseph Müller Brockmann on the grid, and they have to add related articles to create a 24-page book. It is a lesson in typesetting and InDesign, but students also have to decide what they think about JMB in order to choose relevant articles and imagery. The students have come up with a variety of responses – some adding articles about the Enlightenment, some adding David Carson interviews, some delving into the structure of letterforms. While it may not be the kind of critical thinking one would aim for in a philosophy class, it pushes a studio-based project beyond the usual eye candy realm. - Liz Throop
4 comments:
I teach students about how to read, and provide a one-day workshop on what it means to read critically. Moreover, I have to teach them about research methods and the difference between primary and secondary sources when it comes to writing a research paper. In the 1990s I entered my undergraduate education, and learned about all of this in a mandatory library class. It was three weeks and I learned about Dewey Decimal versus LC call numbers, along with the above issues I mention here. But alas, it seems like such a class has gone the way of the dinosaurs since you can write a paper by 'screen-scraping' and editing content together using any word program. I am both astounded and disappointed that such topics have to be reinforced every term to my design students. As a result, I have instituted a research methods component to each class.
I’m looking back at what I’ve just written, and it’s a bit long. Sorry for that (can you tell I'm on break?). Tell me if I need to shorten up in the future. But one summation could be: Show Don’t Tell.
I will set very specific guidelines for each reading assignment. I tell them to come to class prepared to offer the class at least 4 passages (at least, at least, at least) from the assigned reading, and an articulate response to each of them that reveals an understanding and appreciation of the rest of the reading assignment (context). They can agree or disagree with their highlighted statements, but they must be able to articulate their opinion. I tell them to physically highlight the passages (if they don’t want to mark on their books, then they can makes copies of the pages).
In classes larger than 12 (the norm in undergrad), I break up the class into two groups, and we discuss the readings on separate days. The class that I do not meet with is required to provide a written strategy (emailed in advance) of what they will do for the 2.5 hour class session, whether it be research, thumbnails, type studies, color studies (depending on the stage of development the project is in) that best utilizes the time. I break large classes up for two reasons—to put those students who are hesitant to speak publicly more at ease, and to actively prevent any student from NOT participating. They’re aware that they are graded on their willingness to think out loud about what has been read.
Everyone must have their books at our discussion session, and we begin with each student reading one of their passages aloud (first telling everyone what page and where on the page). They read it aloud, then respond with their ‘informed’ opinions. We go around the table in this manner as a ‘first round’ that helps everyone get a sense of the larger picture. This is not rigidly set; sometimes I’ll allow a few short responses, other times I’ll suggest we move to the next person. The first round loosens everyone up, it gets everyone talking, and ‘feeling out’ their opinions and their grasp of the content.
I act primarily as a moderator for the early parts. I ask questions, sometimes to force them to clarify their thoughts, at other times as a sounding board; rephrasing their comments in a way that allows them to hear a different articulation of their stated logic. I ask them if my synopsis is a fair reflection of their own opinion. I remain neutral—refraining from overtly framing my own opinions. I simply ask questions, but the art of asking questions is a constantly daunting one, and no matter how many times I’ve discussed a reading (if it’s one that I deem worthy of being read for a few years in a row, for instance), the task of asking the right questions in order to keep everyone on their toes, and focused on what I understand as the most fertile arenas of discussion, is probably the most difficult and important task of any moderator.
As we go around the room, the conversation usually builds, and longer periods of discussion pass before I have to have someone bring us back to a highlighted passage. I happen to love differences of opinion. And I believe it is really the only vehicle for constructive discussion—a dialectic advancement of informed opinion. We hash out these differences, not with cliché diatribes, but with a ruthless break down of both sides of the argument to their core assumptions. So, much of the time, we are searching for those core, fundamental assumptions that eventually lead to how individual opinions are formed.
So, getting students to read critically is really about providing a forum to discuss the reading critically. Time has to be given to the discussion of reading assignments in order to reinforce their import, and the Professor has to be on spot, lest the students realize they can just babble out uninformed clichés for a few minutes and get away with it. And, yes, I know when they’re BSing, and (through pointed questions, and occasional reprimands if they’re necessary) I’ll let them know that I know. Usually, by the second reading assignment, all students are prepared; they know they have to be.
PS
When I mentioned that the half of the class that I don't meet with has to email me a work agenda, I didn't mean to say that they can take the class off. On the contrary, they show up to 'work' and they are required to do their proposed work in class. the reading group shuffles off to an adjoining room.
This semester I gave juniors two pages from Joseph Müller Brockmann on the grid, and they have to add related articles to create a 24-page book. It is a lesson in typesetting and InDesign, but students also have to decide what they think about JMB in order to choose relevant articles and imagery. The students have come up with a variety of responses – some adding articles about the Enlightenment, some adding David Carson interviews, some delving into the structure of letterforms. While it may not be the kind of critical thinking one would aim for in a philosophy class, it pushes a studio-based project beyond the usual eye candy realm.
- Liz Throop
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