Group work with visualization techniques to analyse an academic text

Keywords: Visualization; Group work;

Brief description

In the BA module Introduction to Audiovisual Arts, Pieter Verstraete used a visualization assignment in the seminars, which helped students through group work to discern and formulate the formal structure of the argument in one text they had to prepare for the lecture each week. Upon repetition, they came up with creative visualizations which opened the discussion of the contents of the text without making it a formal presentation. By recognizing the argumentative structure in texts by other academics, students could also improve their own ways of formulating arguments in a proper, academic way. By giving students gradual control over the contents and discussions of the seminars, they learn to help develop each other, as well, and that they need to inform the teacher what they need - not expect that the teacher does everything. Important is that you still give written feedback on the creative solutions that students come up with beyond the immediate feedback students get form each other in the seminar room. Brightspace enables the seminar instructors to give those final comments.

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The students seemed very satisfied and engaged in the visualization assignment. They came up with very creative solutions and it also created some level of competition to do better each week.

Group size

Groups of 5 students

Length of the activity

30 minutes presentation and 15 minutes discussion

Difficulty level

[On a scale of 1-5 (1= very easy, 5 = a lot of preparation)]
1

Preparation

Before class: Students get first instructions and an example in the first seminar which is accompanied by questions that are first discussed in break-out groups, and then with the whole seminar group. This costs only a quick preparation of max. 1 hour in relation to the chosen text.

In class: Students repeat the assignment in their own groups and present the results every week in the seminars. This costs only half the time of the seminar to keep this under control but the work is done by the students.

Advantages

The biggest advantage is that once students get the purpose of the exercise, they can add their own solutions and learn from themselves. The seminar instructor only has to point to major mistakes in the process.

Challenges

Students may not completely understand the assignment and just give a standard presentation on the contents of the text or their own reflections, which then needs to be rectified during the seminar. Students may also become too creative with the visualizations. It is important that they still reflect the reality of the given text.

Targeted Learning outcomes

(A1, A2, A3, A5 of the Degree Program Learning Outcomes)

• understanding of the content and structure of texts in relation to the academic fields related to the audiovisual arts (A1)

• demonstrable general knowledge of the historical developments of the audiovisual arts, in relation to technological developments and economic-political and sociocultural history (A2)

• basic knowledge of the histories of thought on the arts and their functions (A3)

• basic understanding of (audiovisual) art as a form of cognition (A5)

This activity reduces the workload of lecturers. They do add to the workload of the students, but since they share the responsibility in their own groups, it is manageable.

Additional tools/material/resources

No extra tools needed.

Additional information