Share and Link
This activity invites students to find a source for one of their classmate's research topics, reinforcing search strategies as well as the idea of research as a collaborative act.
Activity title: Share and Link
Author: Harriett Jernigan
Course: PWR 1 or PWR 2
Activity length and schedule: This activity works well at a point in the quarter when students are beginning to research their topics; some preliminary TiC/research question activity should have taken place prior to this activity. The work would take place over the course of a week.
Activity goals:
- Fostering more diverse collaboration
- Building diversity in research
Activity details: Each student fills out a research topic sheet, which they then share with one of their classmates who is part of their research group. That second student then finds a source of interest to the first student -- in whatever genre they prefer (i.e., it does not have to be a standard academic article). That student then gifts the source to the first student, with an explanation as to why she/he/they felt it would be interesting or relevant. One problem Harriett acknowledges with this activity is that students might suggest articles that invalidate their peer's research topic.
See student-facing instructions (with some some editorial annotations) here.
Harriett has noted that she would love feedback on this activity and to hear how others have adapted and developed it for their own classes.