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Patrick Andrews

Material writing and task design

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Edited by Patrick Andrews, Friday, 28 Apr 2017, 14:06

I am currently writing some materials for a SPOC (Short Private Online Course) on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) on the theme of technology.  I have been very busy doing it for the last two days (this posting is an attempt to clear my head in the middle of doing it).

One thing I have noticed is that some days the kinds of tasks I write are very different from the ones of the day before.  For example, yesterday I was using a number of tasks where learners work things out for themselves (inductive) whereas today I have been explaining more and asking learners to then try exercises (deductive).

I wonder whether the mixture is confusing or helpfully varied.  This will be something to think about as I consider revising the materials when they are finished.


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Patrick Andrews

Collaborating on materials at a distance

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I have recently been writing materials for L185 Online Tutorials with some colleagues.  It has been an interesting and generally positive experience although there are challenges as well.

We have been able to develop materials in an exploratory way with different writers challenging the logic and also suggesting alternative ways of doing things.  There has also been some checking of relatively minor mistakes.

The biggest challenge has often been in terms of coordination and knowing which is the latest version of each piece of material.

 

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Patrick Andrews

iTunesU

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Edited by Patrick Andrews, Tuesday, 5 Apr 2011, 10:23

This is a great source of lectures and other academic content.  There is lots of Open University context.  It is useful for students of EAP as they can access their subject matter and also useful for Masters in Education students as there is so much relevant content.

There is an interesting lecture by Lightbown at http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/tc.columbia.edu.1389069061

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