PHASE II

I decided to assign the Annotated Bibliography & Synthesis next because, as the best source of examples of scholarly conversation, and as the developmental waystation between the two drafts of the research proposal, the bib is the lynchpin of the sequence. The bib provides writers with not only procedural models to complete the final assignment but the declarative knowledge to understand why and to what ends the work they are committing to holds value. It solidifies their conception of their topic choice, and it helps writers assess how the assignment situates their voice in a scholarly conversation by enacting genre recognition, accessing scholarly conversations, and critically informing their research perspective. My bib design articulates expectations and delineates the students’ tasks in easily digestible, paced chunks while placing the work within both the immediate context of developing a lit review and greater context of meeting course outcomes (Reid & Kroll, 1995, fig. 1, p. 21).

Blackmon (2012) identifies a few key themes that I find particularly useful for developing a collaborative environment: (1) “relational capital” influences students’ participation habits, particularly online (2) academic outcomes are positively influenced by increased student interaction, (3) managing busywork for multiple classes affects student responses, and (4) “instructor presence” can have a positive or negative impact, depending on the level and type of interaction (p. 8). For this reason, continuous small-group interaction across the semester engage my students in those properties that increase discussion participation and create a comfortable atmosphere of inclusivity and comradery to benefit all. The highest point of collaboration, barring possibly peer-review, happens in the weeks leading up to the annotated bibliography, and it is between this assignment and the revised proposal that decisions will be made about collaborative projects and major topic revisions.