Introduction
Discussions about the relationship between digital technology and society often begin with an assumption of transparent communication. But we all know that, whatever the technology used to communicate a message, it is always possible that you won’t be understood. As we will discuss in this learning community, one of the key reasons for this message failure is that the sender and the receiver of the information are operating with different frameworks of knowledge (a different set of ideologies and experiences).
This is not the problem described by information models of the 1950s (where “noise” is the only thing obscuring direct communication from point A to point B) and technological remedies for it are a poor substitute for critical thinking on both ends of the circuit.
Teaching requires you to instruct someone on how to do something which you know how to do without thinking about it, but which others may not understand. It requires you to not only put yourself in someone else’s place, but also to recognize how your own ideology and experience informs your understanding of the world. Only then can you figure out what others need to know in order to do what you do.
Teaching is thus an important exercise in critical thinking, creative problem solving, valuing and, ultimately, communication. And, in this case, you will be trying to generate it through a group interaction: a group project focused on teaching a classroom of people with diverse skills and backgrounds how to do something “digital.”
The Assignment
The final product of this project will be a presentation you and your group in class on November 27 & 29. This presentation will be a 45-minute workshop where you will teach the class how to perform some task or series of tasks that it loosely defined as being digital. This could involve designing a database in Microsoft Access, using editing software to create a mash-up of a song or video, or any number of other things we all know can be done with digital technology but most of us haven’t done before.
In addition to your conducting the lesson, you will also provide written instructions on a handout so that your colleagues can both follow your presentation and reproduce their learning on their own after class. You will also submit an essay describing your project and the way it incorporates concepts and discussions from the course as well as your process for constructing the finished product.
As part of the preparation for your workshop, you will be reading several articles about pedagogy (the theory of teaching). As the individual element of this project, worth 25% of the total grade, each group member with summarize a pedagogical article (one of five provided by the instructors) for his/her fellow group members. In addition, s/he will provide some action strategies on how to incorporate the lessons of the pedagogical article into the final group presentation. As with most NCC learning communities, you will then also reflect in your final portfolio on how well you accomplished this task, and how well you thought the pedagogical theory worked in relation to the final product.
The Components
Part 1: Your Subject
Your first task will be to consider, as a group, what you would like to teach and submit to us three possible lessons you could teach by September 27. We will give you feedback on which of the three we think would be the best option for your workshop and you can then proceed with organizing your workshop.
Part 2: The Teaching Assignment
This is group presentation: everyone in the group needs to participate in the final presentation as well as the organization and planning process. Remember:
- you will be teaching us to do something “digital” that has been approved by the course instructors.
- the lesson will need to be substantial and significant, incorporate issues and debates from the class, and be able to be completed by everyone in the class within your time limit of 45 minutes
- you should provide a handout (or “take aways”) for the audience so that it can continue practicing.
Part 3: The Theory
At the time of the presentation, you will also turn in a 5-page essay enumerating the ways you have incorporated the readings and discussions from the class as well as the pedagogical strategies from each group member into the final presentation.
Part 4: Group Assessment
There will also be a group assessment in which you will convey to the course instructors, individually, how you thought the group process went. On this, it is always easier to solve problems in group projects before the presentation itself. Please do keep us informed of difficulties you are having before they become full-blown catastrophes.
Have fun and be creative