Adapting Assignments
Whether we are building online courses based on course we've already taught in person or creating online courses from scratch, it's important to take advantage of the online format. Instead of a diluted copy of what we could offer in the classroom, adapting assignments to the digital format of the class makes online courses feel intentional. There are lots of ways to translate a traditional essay into a shareable, multimodal composition.
Scaffolding Assignments
Scaffolding major assignments typically requires the same series of moves online as it does in the traditional classroom:
- Introduce assignment by connecting it to class material.
- Share examples of the assignment's genre, giving students opportunities to notice genre conventions.
- Practice any skills required to complete the final project (this might include the use software as well as particular writing skills).
- Evaluate an element of the assignment that will allow you to guide student revision and refinement toward the final product.
- Require students to reflect on their work.
In my Professional Uses of Social Media course, for example, one major assignment is a pecha kucha presentation in which students investigate a brand's citizenship. Like you will see in the next example, I begin by connecting the assignment to the work we've been doing in class. Then, I share examples of the pecha kucha genre, and students note strengths and areas for improvement. Because research is an important aspect of the assignment, we practice the skills that will be required to complete an annotated bibliography: identifying reliable source material, writing summary, and MLA-style citations. The penultimate step in this sequence is the annotated bibliography, giving me the opportunity to redirect student focus if necessary.
Scaffolding Example
Below you will find an assignment sequence posted on Pitt's Digital Media Pedagogy site (also included in Resources for Teaching Writing Online). This is an ambitious assignment--don't let it dissuade you from including more technology in your course. In my commentary, I have highlighted the work of each step of the project. Remember that you can adapt these steps to fit any major assignment.
Be sure to expand the document view so that you can read my comments!