Last spring I graded my first set of papers that required aural editing and reflection. Those students’ semester-long project was to research a sustainability issue and propose a sustainability model suited to their particular issue, and then, having finished their initial research, they each had to write a two-page autobiographical essay that connected their own lives to the issue of sustainability they wished to research. This autobiographical assignment contained two other components: an audio recording of them reading their essays and a short written response reflecting on their experience of both recording the initial reading and then listening to the recording.
Though there were some technological complications, on the whole, the results pleased me. This semester we will try to avoid the technological obstacles by reiterating the instructions more and I will also emphasize the reflective nature of the written components of the assignment more.
Nevertheless, the students’ observations in the spring were quite insightful. In one case, for example, a student wrote about how uneasy they felt about sharing their draft aloud, about their self-consciousness at the sound of their own voice. This student “found this assignment to be much different than the writing techniques” they were used to. Yet though it “felt strange to hear [my] work being read aloud…I was able to spot issues that I was able to brush off while reading to myself.”
Another student wrote that at first they “thought the flow of the paper was great, but [having heard the recording], “felt like something was missing. [They] used transition words throughout the paragraphs, but lacked them when beginning a new one.” All of this was interesting and useful, but a bit routine; however, later in their reflection, this same student observed something I wish had been explored further: "I did not expect there to be much of a change of perspective after I recorded myself reading the essay aloud. I usually read my essays out loud before I submit them, anyway. However, listening to the essay speak itself with me as the audience was different. My point of view did shift a little."
Although the student didn’t specify in their short reflection on the nature of their shift in perspective, my sense of what the student implies by that apt phrase “listening to the essay speak itself with me as the audience” is that, perhaps for the first time, this student was able to place themselves in the position of someone else, which would be a valuable insight if accurate.
While I am fine and even happy if the recording element helps the students with traditional matters of revision and editing, I am hoping to see even more of the increased awareness of how others might respond to them and perhaps also more insight into how they see themselves represented by their writing voices.
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