Course: A443/J462 History of Twentieth Century Photography
Author: Cookman,
Claude
School: Indiana University - Bloomington
Department/Program: Fine Arts
Sub Area/Speciality: Photography
Year: 2005
Portfolio Objective/Abstract:
This portfolio describes the instructor's efforts to help students in a history of photography course improve their critical thinking skills through intensive writing. Critical thinking is defined as the ability to identify a writer's thesis and evaluate whether her argument convincingly supports that thesis; it also incorporates several mental operations fundamental to practicing the history of photography including observing, describing, comparing and contrasting, classifying, interpreting and several others. Eighty percent of the course grade was based on writing assignments, including four papers with a required total of 25 pages, and 15 responses to essay study questions about assigned readings. This component used the Just in Time Teaching method (JiTT ), in which students responded to the questions shortly before class via the Internet. In quantitative and open-ended responses to a questionnaire at the end of the semester, students reported that the course did increase their critical thinking. Several noted the JiTT method heightened their engagement in the course.
Type of Portfolio: Benchmark
Evidence of Student Learning in the Portfolio: Examples of Student Work
Size of Class: over 100
Type of Student: Major and Non-Majors
Level of Course: Combined Undergraduate/Graduate
Type of Course: General Education
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