This is really a difficult question, because to be honest, any answer will
require more work on your part. One of my responses has been to lay out the
goals of the class and ask/challenge my students how best to fulfill those
goals. In turn I have allowed myriad assignments to be presented for the
fulfillment of the class.
Of course academia privileges textual analysis and response, but there are
many other ways of seeing/knowing. If the goal is to be successful in
traditional academia the research/write requirement is useful, because that
is what is expected/rewarded. Really it depends on the scope of the course
and the (purpose/goal?) of the course, and how much time that you and your
students can actually commit to the course.
Probably not helpful at all,
sincerely & respectfully,
William Bragg
University of British Columbia
Geography Department
& not a professor
On 3/3/04 8:56 PM, "Nick Blomley" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I'm trying to re-work one of my undergrad courses, and the age-old
> problem (for me) of class projects has come up. I set the conventional
> assignments - a term paper/essay and a final exam. While these have
> their uses, including teaching students to research and write, I wonder
> whether they're there simply because they are what is expected, and
> because they allow me to come up with nice numerical scores to plug
> into grading spread-sheets.
>
> I wonder if people have some creative alternatives? For example, I've
> noticed that one of the biggest challenges that people seem to face
> (myself included) is defining a research project. The execution is
> often fairly straightforward. Could the former be an assignment? Group
> projects are also something I've experimented with, but while these can
> be productive, I know some students find them challenging.
>
> Nick Blomley
>
>
> Nicholas Blomley,
> Professor,
> Department of Geography,
> Simon Fraser University,
> Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CANADA
> 604-291-3713
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.sfu.ca/geography/people/faculty/Faculty_sites/NickBlomley/
> index.htm
>
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