Step 4 - Editing
The Strategy
This group:
- edits the content
- writes a summary paragraph
- creates a bullet point of essential concepts
- makes sure glossary terms are all present and linked to content.
Note: Since it is difficult to control for the number of students present each semester, it is possible that some sections will be further along than others. Task lists for some chapters may include more editing tasks, while other chapters may still include writing tasks.
To account for this, the assignments for the first editing semester were divided into two tasks.
- Students were asked to comment on the material present so far in the book. This ensures that students are looking at all of the material.
- Students choose among the content that still needs to be created. Because I want students to focus on commenting, these tasks were divided into smaller pieces than for previous semesters. For example, rather than asking a student to write a full section of the book, they are asked to write only one portion of the section. Some of the sections written by the previous semester's students were lacking information or only partially complete - the task for these sections is to have this semester's students finish writing those sections.
The main goal for the first editing semester is to comment on the text. These comments will guide students next semester who are doing the bulk of the editing.
Smaller Assignments
Students could be asked to comment on the presentation of information in the textbook or other resources. What information is presented clearly? What could be added? etc. Students could then be asked to rewrite a section of the book.