Research Question Generator with Padlet
This asynchronous activity helps students generate research questions with a rhetorical approach. Students not only craft research questions with different emphases, they also critically reflect on critical rhetorical concepts and the purpose of their research to prepare for an excellent research paper. This activity uses the brainstorming tool, Padlet.
Activity title: Research Question Generator on Padlet
Author(s): Sangeeta Mediratta
Course: PWR 2
Activity length and schedule: This activity, typically assigned in Week 2, after they have completed the Accordion Pre-Write Activity in class. This activity generating research questions and responding to their classmates’ research questions takes students 45-minutes to complete—on the first day about 30 minutes and another 15 minutes on Day 2; it is suggested that instructors give students at least 40-50 minutes of asynchronous work time. It pairs well with discussions of the RP genre, BEAM, research questions, research review, PWR 1 review.
Activity goals: This activity invites students to critically reflect on and engage with how to practice crafting and honing research questions in collaboration with their peers.
Overall, crafting and recrafting their research questions at this early stage of their projects helps set students on a clearer path down the research lane.
Activity details: This activity requires asynchronous work done by students individually. Rather than a formal assignment, this is a planning activity that invites students to brainstorm various types of research questions and deepen their rhetorical understanding.
On Day 1, using the worksheet they completed during the Accordion Prewrite Activity, students write down the top three versions of their research question in the Padlet for the week (linked on Canvas). After they are done posting, each student reads four other students’ questions and posts constructive feedback, comments, and questions. On Day 2, students go back and check all the questions and comments they received and leave responses one more time. A link to more details and assignment guide of this activity can be found here.
Note to instructors: Students would have been introduced to Stasis Theory as a way of crafting their questions prior to both the Accordion Prewrite and this Padlet activity.