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Inkshedding
(6 December 2006)
At the end of the semester, you might be looking for constructive
ways to engage students in final examination review. For an exercise
that includes low-stakes writing, discussion, and synthesis of
course content, try an adapted version of Inkshedding.
Inkshedding Process
Inkshedding was developed in the 1980s by composition
teachers Ross Hunt and Jim Reither (for background, see Professor
Hunt's webpage).
In the recent 9 November 2006 issue of The Chronicle of Higher
Education,1 James M. Lang describes the inkshedding
process, suggesting that it can be used to spark class discussion:
- First, students spend 5 minutes writing their
ideas on the day's topic of discussion.
- Then, each student passes her notebook to
another student, who reads the comments and then adds his/her
own response, for about 5 minutes.
- The process of passing/reading/responding
continues for 20 minutes or so, with the result being a written
dialogue that emerges between the students.
- Finally, the notebooks are returned to the
original writers, are read, and then the topic is discussed as a
class.
Adapting for Exam Review
Have the students start the Inkshedding process by writing an
open-ended question about an important course concept.
Then, as the notebooks are passed, students
respond to the question, generating review information as they
synthesize ideas from throughout the semester. The responses can
then be discussed as a class or in small groups.
Additionally, students can generate a course study
guide if each student summarizes his Inkshedding content, posting
the summary on a class website or handing out copies to the class.
1 Lang, James M. "Shaking
Things Up." The Chronicle of Higher
Education 3 November 2006: C2. |
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