Comments by Instructor Oswald Sobrino Most recent public comments by Instructor Oswald Sobrino https://nowcomment.com/users/79693 I like Now Comment, and would use it. It allows me to expose students to ancient/historic sources so they can get a feel of a distant era's way of describing liturgy, sacraments, spirituality, etc. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861214 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861214 Mon, 04 May 2020 11:58:12 -0400 My ideal group size would depend on overall class size. If a small class, I would lean on trying to use one group. With a larger class, I would aim at several groups but would be wary of fragmentation (loss of class unity) with too many groups. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861192 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861192 As to roles, the three roles of starter, wrapper, and devil's advocate are good; but I would consider using this order: first, the plaintiff, so to speak; then, the devil's advocate; and finally, the "judge." Mon, 04 May 2020 11:47:32 -0400 I suggest that instructors make students aware that they are aiming at moderate involvement, but inviting students who desire more involvement to contact the instructor for their particular needs. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861175 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861175 Mon, 04 May 2020 11:43:12 -0400 1. Value of smaller groups 2. Anticipating difficulty of following threaded discussions 3. Clear requirements and deadlines https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861160 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861160 Discussion boards can be very time-consuming, and constant checking-in can be burdensome. I would strive to clearly set forth how often and how much students need to contribute to remove the issue of frequency of contribution as a source of open-ended anxiety. I am open to suggestions. Mon, 04 May 2020 11:35:16 -0400 I agree that students should know the rubrics before beginning the assignment. I describe the criteria below. I have not tried student self-evaluation but am open to it. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861075 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1861075 Rubric: 1. Responded specifically to the comment thereby showing a careful reading of the comment. 2 Gave one or more reasons to justify the specific points made in the response. 3. Based reasons and opinions on assigned course readings or an authoritative source found elsewhere. Sat, 09 May 2020 16:32:28 -0400 So, again, can the discussions end up replacing a Mid Term Exam? https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860970 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860970 Fri, 08 May 2020 10:48:30 -0400 Effect of class size. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860969 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860969 This benefit, in my opinion, increases as class size increases. Mon, 04 May 2020 10:42:36 -0400 Writing skills improvement. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860962 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860962 This technique can help some students realize that they need to focus on improving their writing skills for the sake of their overall academic career. Mon, 04 May 2020 10:38:38 -0400 Circulating how other students responded to content. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860957 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860957 In a recent class, I assigned students to define three terms that the faculty required for an intro. course. I then circulated the responses of the other students to everyone so that each student benefited from the research of their classmates (along with my comments on each submission). Mon, 04 May 2020 10:36:26 -0400 Online discussions are high consumers of teacher time. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860953 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860953 Because of the time investment for both students and teachers, is it reasonable to replace a Mid Term exam with discussion participation? Mon, 04 May 2020 10:31:43 -0400 NC ("Now Comment") seems very useful when examining key documents. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860952 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860952 For example, I would use NC to comment on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome in the Intro. Liturgy course. I have done so in the past without NC by directing students to a PDF of the document and asking them to identify a liturgical feature (e.g., epiclesis) or comment on a particular liturgical rite (e.g., Baptism rite). Mon, 04 May 2020 10:29:54 -0400 I have not used such a framework before. https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860936 https://nowcomment.com/documents/140998?scroll_to=1860936 In traditional classes, I have tailored my study guide questions to elicit different types of responses. But the MANIC framework is a good, concise short cut to that--plus adaptable to different types of questions. For example, I can add to the framework: how would you explain this point to a non-Catholic or ex-Catholic? Mon, 04 May 2020 10:26:05 -0400