Re: teaching

[Romay Jean Sitze <rositze -at- NMSU -dot- EDU>]

Elaines blind critique and group rewrite sounds like a great variation of
the type of group critiques I've been using.  I'll have to give it a try.

I have been doing something similar with my tech writing classes at times.
(It depends on how crowded my semester has been as to whether I can take
the time to include this activity.)  I've been having my students create
an object such as a paper airplane and write a set of instructions so
others can recreate the plane.  In a follow up class, I distribute the
instructions to other class members to test the document.  As they
attempt to follow the instructions they are to note what works and what
doesn't.  Finally, the tester rewrites the document incorporating the new
ideas.  This activity serves three functions--it give students practice in
writing instructions clearly,  it points out the importance of user
testing, and it demonstrates something that happens in the workplace where
the designer develops the preliminary documentation and the tech writer
tests it and refines it for final output.



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                RoMay Sitze                 rositze -at- nmsu -dot- edu

                Practice makes perfect--or perfectly awful.
                It depends on what you practice.

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