Page 81 - E-book 2012-13 final draft
P. 81
Enlightening Teaching & Research
methods, for instance, collaborative learning in which students a preliminary practice of giving fruitful advice and making wise
work independently and autonomously in groups on meaningful corrections as a future teacher.
projects, such as the Wikibook project in the course ‘Introduction to
Linguistics’. After receiving the comments, the group of students who
wrote the chapter will then prepare a 20-minute session in the form
The Wikibook project, as a kind of collaborative learning, of a lecture based on their Wikibook chapter content, and deliver
has been well-organized, ensuring that students have an all-rounded the lecture at the beginning of a tutorial class. Other students are
learning experience. In the project, students are divided into groups invited to comment on the lecture. The students’ peer teaching
of 3-4. Each group of students will write a chapter for an academic performances are video-recorded and formally assessed by the
book titled ‘Introduction to Linguistics’, based on the content of lecturer. Such a component is essential training for the students
the course, and each student will contribute around 1000 words to polish their presentation skills. I thoroughly enjoyed my group’s
to the chapter. This is truly collaborative learning, as members in presentation, and felt a sense of satisfaction after the presentation.
the team have to work very closely together through every stage For 20 minutes we were like university lecturers, and our classmates
of the project: brainstorming the structure of the chapter, reading enjoyed our lecture and learned from us.
relevant literature, selecting the sub-topics, deciding the content
of the chapter, drafting the chapter and peer editing each other’s After the peer teaching session, we were given two more
parts, designing and rehearsing the oral presentation of the chapter, weeks to finalize our Wikibook chapter, which was then submitted
responding to peers’ and teacher’s comments, and finalizing the to the lecturer via turnitin for grading.
chapter.
During the draft-revision process, we peer edited each
Every week, one group of students writing a Wikibook other’s sections in the chapter, so as to ensure the overall coherence
chapter are required to post a draft of their chapter online by and cohesion of the chapter, and the consistency of the writing style.
a deadline. Other students in the same tutorial class will read For once, writing was no longer a private business. Writing together
the chapter and leave online comments on the draft on the as a team was very refreshing, and I learned a lot from my peers.
corresponding Wikibook website. Furthermore, students are
required to rate their peer’s work using a 1-5 scale. These activities There is one more special feature of the Wikibook project:
provide us with peer learning and peer assessment opportunities, in my tutorial class for the ‘Introduction to Linguistics’ course, half
which are very beneficial learning strategies, but are rarely adopted of the students were from the BEd (EL) programme, and half from
in traditional settings. I really appreciated the comments given to the BA(Language Studies) programme. Personally, I welcome the
us by our peers on our draft chapter, and I found most of them opportunities of working with students from another programme, as
constructive and helpful. I also enjoyed giving comments to my we may have different perspectives on things but we will have our
classmates, and by giving those comments I was able to review own strengths and we can help each other to learn.
what I had learnt, and critically appreciate what my classmates
had written in their chapters. In addition, this practice gave me All of the aforementioned strategies are aimed at the
66 67
methods, for instance, collaborative learning in which students a preliminary practice of giving fruitful advice and making wise
work independently and autonomously in groups on meaningful corrections as a future teacher.
projects, such as the Wikibook project in the course ‘Introduction to
Linguistics’. After receiving the comments, the group of students who
wrote the chapter will then prepare a 20-minute session in the form
The Wikibook project, as a kind of collaborative learning, of a lecture based on their Wikibook chapter content, and deliver
has been well-organized, ensuring that students have an all-rounded the lecture at the beginning of a tutorial class. Other students are
learning experience. In the project, students are divided into groups invited to comment on the lecture. The students’ peer teaching
of 3-4. Each group of students will write a chapter for an academic performances are video-recorded and formally assessed by the
book titled ‘Introduction to Linguistics’, based on the content of lecturer. Such a component is essential training for the students
the course, and each student will contribute around 1000 words to polish their presentation skills. I thoroughly enjoyed my group’s
to the chapter. This is truly collaborative learning, as members in presentation, and felt a sense of satisfaction after the presentation.
the team have to work very closely together through every stage For 20 minutes we were like university lecturers, and our classmates
of the project: brainstorming the structure of the chapter, reading enjoyed our lecture and learned from us.
relevant literature, selecting the sub-topics, deciding the content
of the chapter, drafting the chapter and peer editing each other’s After the peer teaching session, we were given two more
parts, designing and rehearsing the oral presentation of the chapter, weeks to finalize our Wikibook chapter, which was then submitted
responding to peers’ and teacher’s comments, and finalizing the to the lecturer via turnitin for grading.
chapter.
During the draft-revision process, we peer edited each
Every week, one group of students writing a Wikibook other’s sections in the chapter, so as to ensure the overall coherence
chapter are required to post a draft of their chapter online by and cohesion of the chapter, and the consistency of the writing style.
a deadline. Other students in the same tutorial class will read For once, writing was no longer a private business. Writing together
the chapter and leave online comments on the draft on the as a team was very refreshing, and I learned a lot from my peers.
corresponding Wikibook website. Furthermore, students are
required to rate their peer’s work using a 1-5 scale. These activities There is one more special feature of the Wikibook project:
provide us with peer learning and peer assessment opportunities, in my tutorial class for the ‘Introduction to Linguistics’ course, half
which are very beneficial learning strategies, but are rarely adopted of the students were from the BEd (EL) programme, and half from
in traditional settings. I really appreciated the comments given to the BA(Language Studies) programme. Personally, I welcome the
us by our peers on our draft chapter, and I found most of them opportunities of working with students from another programme, as
constructive and helpful. I also enjoyed giving comments to my we may have different perspectives on things but we will have our
classmates, and by giving those comments I was able to review own strengths and we can help each other to learn.
what I had learnt, and critically appreciate what my classmates
had written in their chapters. In addition, this practice gave me All of the aforementioned strategies are aimed at the
66 67
