Student Perspectives
A year ago two of my American Literature students were interviewed by the campus newspaper about their experience of taking a course in our EASL classroom. It reassured me to hear that some of my expectations about the experience were verified by the students directly engaged. For example, I believed that speaking with and to their peers would not only reinforce the process of interpreting and contextualizing their reading, but it would also provide a chance for public speaking. The first student, Jazzlyn Stallworth, said, "I feel a lot more comfortable in front of a group in this setting. I think I have a lot more confidence as a result." In fact, that's exactly how I'd characterize the experience of many of the students over the last two years, as an arc of increasing confidence in their ability to understand ideas and to communicate their own thoughts with assurance.
Another hope I had was that this active learning exchange would increase student awareness of the complexity of text, interpretation, and reception. I hoped they would become aware of the negotiation of meaning by communities, and the interview suggests this is so. "I think you learn better in a class like this because you're discussing more and hearing more about your classmates' perspectives on topics your [sic] learning instead of your own individual interpretation," the second student, Emily Browning, commented. "It holds you accountable to your learning." Obviously, though, there are still perceptions about how learning works that are hard to shake off, such as the idea that there is one right answer: "In classes like this, your professor and classmates help you get to the right answer while making sure you understand what you're learning," Jazzlyn added. But I understand her perspective. As the student, she's naturally concerned about her grades and getting the right answer, for her, is an important part of that. Still, the benefits of active learning, for me, greatly outweigh the difficulties that are inherent to teaching anyway.
Here's the web address of the article:
