Dear all,
I'm co-ordinating a project beginning next year at Oxford in which second-
year undergraduates will facilitate discussions among first-years taking
similar subjects about subject-specific questions of process. Issues that
might be discussed could include for example:
-- what makes a good history essay?
-- how can one go about approaching a completely unfamiliar maths problem?
-- what constitutes a sound argument in law?
-- where should one start with a very long reading list for modern
languages?
-- how can one take notes from biology textbooks that are useful for this
week's essay but also useful in the longer term for revision?
-- etc.
In order to help the facilitators to run structured and productive
discussions, I'm trying to put together a substantial pack of resources.
These will include:
-- materials for discussion (e.g. reading lists; problem sheets; sample
student essays, translations, lab reports, or attempts at problem
solutions in various subjects; samples of written feedback provided by
tutors; etc.)
-- exercises, i.e. suggested ideas or questions that facilitators could
use to structure the discussions (e.g. how have the authors of these two
sample history essays made use of sources? Does one essay do this better
than the other? If so, why is it better? Besides use of sources, what are
the strong and weak points of each essay? What can you say about the
structure of each? Would all tutors agree about what makes a good
structure in a history essay? How have sources been acknowledged? etc.)
I wondered whether list members might be able to offer any advice or
assistance with this. I suspect that the hardest thing will be to amass a
collection of sample essays, problem solutions, translations, etc.
produced by students -- I have some from Oxford, but fewer than I'd like.
The kinds of things I'm looking for
-- will be realistic for an Oxford first-year, in terms of both the
sophistication of the task set and the range of standards of the response.
-- may have been marked so that students can discuss the tutor feedback
too.
Of course, student materials will be used anonymously and only with
explicit consent -- so I'll need an email or something from any student
prepared to donate an essay or equivalent. Materials will be formatted to
a standard style where possible, so for example essays provided in hard
copy with tutor feedback will be re-typed, as will anything hand-written.
If anybody might be able to solicit such donations, or to make any
suggestions about exercises or ways in which this enterprise could be done
better, I'd be very grateful and pleased to hear from them.
With many thanks and best wishes,
Ben
Dr. B. Yudkin
Learning Development Adviser
University of Oxford
Oxford Learning Institute
16/17 St Ebbe's Street
Oxford
OX1 1PT
(01865) 286824
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