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last.updated 12.31.11

 

Pedagogical Tool Review


Purpose

Both corporate entities and non-corporate entities have generated a plethora of tools designed to facilitate instruction. While some are quite useful, others can make instructors feel as if they shackled to a 50lb. weight. Since many of you will be in a position to chose pedagogical tools for your own classes, a program, or department that you work for, you will want to develop strategies for evaluating them.


Instructions–Invention

You will need to start by finding a instructional tool or a resource used to facilitate the teaching of reading and writing. It is best to choose a tool that was designed for pedagogical purposes; if you choose not to, consult the instructor. Some accepted examples include...

  • textbooks, handbooks (i.e., something specifically designed for an English Studies course)
  • software programs, both corporate and freeware
  • manuals, wizards, and tutorials
  • sourcebooks or instructor manuals

If you question whether an item you want to work with constitutes a pedagogical tool, ask the instructor.

Once you have chosen a tool, examine it closely.

  • what is the tool claiming to teach? or facilitate the teaching of? what is its approach to achieving these goals? Do you think it will be successful? why?
  • If it is a tool that facilitates distance learning, how well does it do this? How does it position the instructor? How does it position the students? How condusive is it for the teaching of writing?
  • who is the intended audience(s) for the tool? is this produced for the intended audiences? What knowledge might the audience need to have before using the tool? How might the tool be revised for various audiences?
  • if the tool was not originally designed for pedagogical purposes, what does the tool do? what does the tool allow you to do in pedagogical situations? why do you think it is condusive for teaching? how does it compare to similar tools that have been deisgned for pedagogical purposes? considering the cost, which would you adopt and why?
  • how easy is the tool to use? What is the learning curve? Consider various audiences
  • how does this tool compare to comparable tools? would you adopt this tool over a similar one?

You may also do some research about what others are saying about the tool. Look for articles, reviews, or ratings of this tool. Ask yourself: How do others' experiences with this tool compare to mine? What might account for similarities and differences?

Instructions–Writing

Addressing an audience of English Studies instructors, compose a 1000 word, single-spaced review of the tool you chose. This review should at the very least include...

a description of the tool: what the tool is? what the tool generally does? where can your audience find the tool? what context is it normally used in?

an argument about whether English Studies instructors should adopt this tool: would you adopt this tool for an English Studies course? which course(s)? under what circumstances? why?

support for your argument: such as–how easy was the tool to find? how easy was it to learn? use? teach with? could you customize its use? Use specific details about the tool to support your argument. Also you must place this section of the review into conversation with scholarship in the field [in this section you may choose to support your argument with other's reviews or refute others' opinions]

You may also choose to include relevant visuals in your review to illustrate a point and support your argument.

Instructions–Presentation

Develop a five to ten minute video presentation that highlights the review you have written. This can be an elaborate movie or it can be as simple as a PowerPoint Presentation with a voiceover or a review you do using the video camera on your smart phone. You may also choose to do a screencast. The quality of these video can be rough; the purpose is to present the context cogently. You can use any available media to support your presentation. Post these videos and the written reviews to your blog by the beginning of class; we will spend time at the beginning of class watching the videos and letting you answer questions.


Criteria

Logistics:

  • 1000 words
  • single-spaced post to your blog
  • 5-10 minutes posted to your blog
  • This document is due on the day you present the review. Both should be posted to your blog prior to class
  • 100 points

In addition to the general evaluation criteria, the instructor will be looking for evidence of...

  • a sense of audience–do you understand the range of your audience, mostly other English Studies instructors, and their understanding of these tools?
  • an informed understanding of the tool and how the tool can be used in an English Studies course
  • an accurate and detailed description of the tool
  • a well-supported argument
  • appropriate use of conventions, including MLA, APA, or an appropriate citation formatting