Assignments and Activities

A. "Build Critical Thinking Skills with Believing and Doubting Games" (post) outlines "[o]ne excellent way to help students stretch their critical thinking muscles – regarding specific texts or general topics ... the believing game and the doubting game."

• "[B]y using methodological doubt and methodological belief, students are encouraged to either believe or doubt an idea or text systematically, with discipline and conscious effort."

1. How the Believing and Doubting Games Work

"Learning to Analyze and Critically Evaluate Ideas, Arguments, and Points of View" (post) suggests "ways [of] organizing your courses around ... questions and problems [that interest scholars or professionals in your field] to stimulate your students’ intellectual interest."

"Note-Taking Pairs" (post) explains a simple collaborative learning technique that helps students "improve their individual notes."

• "Working with a peer provides students with an opportunity to revisit and crosscheck notes with another source."

• "Partners help each other acquire missing information and correct inaccuracies so that their combined effort is superior to their individual notes."

A. Basic Model

1. Characteristics of Activity

A. “Digital Timelines” (web page; doc) outlines teaching uses, tie-ins with learning objectives, innovative applications/options, suggestions for grading, etc. for online timelines.

"Creating Effective Scenarios, Case Studies, and Role Plays" (pdf) outlines the purpose and benefits of these teaching activities, the differences among them, foundational considerations, and "further details for each" -- uses, contents, phases, etc.

1. See also