tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10727233.post111900953789105980..comments2023-10-17T05:09:09.069-05:00Comments on <center>Lanny on Learning</center>: What should we teach students about writing online?Lanny Arvanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05597426421997599777noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10727233.post-1119103247164413472005-06-18T09:00:00.000-05:002005-06-18T09:00:00.000-05:00Thanks for the question. And surely there is quit...Thanks for the question. And surely there is quite a bit of online writing that goes the other way, so the concern is obviously legitimate. <BR/><BR/>My view is first that the writing is subservient to the goals of the course and not vice versa. I think the risk outside the course context that the students will "write too much" is very small so I'm not concerned about what my suggestions might do for the students later in their career. Within the course in depth writing is better in my view, at least in some circumstances.<BR/><BR/>Second, the instructor has got to make the writing valued in some way. I'm big on the idea of treating the writing as (part of) learning objects that are re-usable. I've had the students make content surveys that are then administered to other students in the class. The writing becomes important because it serves as a gateway to a class activity. <BR/><BR/>The last point I'd make is that in some ways instructors are unlike educational technologists. The instructors may not live their lives online in the same way and they have some obligation to critique the thinking of their students. They can do that in a formative sense as the students work on the more serious writing and in that way do the coaching that is a requisite part of good teaching. <BR/><BR/>I think this is all do-able in moderately sized classes. It is very hard to do in large classes.Lanny Arvanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05597426421997599777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10727233.post-1119022597508217922005-06-17T10:36:00.000-05:002005-06-17T10:36:00.000-05:00Nice piece and I agree with the concept. The thi...Nice piece and I agree with the concept. The thing I wrestle with is that maybe we are fighting a losing battle. For a student or anyone for that matter to write an indepth piece online you need a space specifically designed for that type of writing. I'm not sure a blog is that place. Most readers, like me have over a 100 feeds(I'll add your feed to increase that number) they subscribe to and find it tough to spend more than a few minutes on a post. Grant it, the depth of good writing and reading requires more time. I'm just not sure where that space will be. Any thoughts?DRShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15055490866531065692noreply@blogger.com