As part of CEP 811, this week I have explored the learning materials that are available in MERLOT and now I have to evaluate a resource found on MERLOT. Here is the resource I have chosen to review:
Thesis Builder & Online Outliner
On MERLOT here
On the Web here
Quality of Content:
This resource aims to help students who have difficulty in communicating what they want to say about a topic in a persuasive paper. Students are expected to respond a few questions so that the thesis builder will create a thesis statement based on their responses.
It can be said that the content of the resource is divided into two parts: getting ready to use the resource and using the resource. It can also be said that the first part, getting ready to use the resource, is also divided into three parts. To start with, this resource organizes and sequences the content so as to maximize its clarity and coherence. It first clearly presents the logic behind the resource: help students find a topic, create a good thesis statement, and generate an online outliner. Also, by “see an example” option next to each step, students are given the opportunity to understand what a topic is, how a good thesis statement looks like, and what an outline means. That is, content is guided by ideas about what students should learn from using the resource. Secondly, students are again guided about what they will need to use the thesis builder: a topic, opinions about the topic, and reasons for your opinion and a main reason others might disagree. In other words, content proceeds in small steps sequenced in ways that are easy to follow. Lastly, instructions are given in six steps so that students can use the thesis builder and online outliner without any problems. In conclusion, the content in the first part of the resource establishes a learning orientation by providing an initial structure to clarify intended outcomes and this goal-oriented content helps to communicate the nature and purpose of the resource.
The second part of the content, using the resource, includes six questions:
· What is the topic you want to write about?
· What is your main opinion on this topic?
· What is the strongest argument supporting your opinion?
· What is a second argument that supports your opinion?
· What is the main argument against your opinion?
· What is a possible title for your essay?
By overviewing major steps of a persuasive essay via questions, the content helps to stimulate students’ thinking about the topic and to learn with a sense of direction. However, despite the answers in full phrases or in short phrases, the thesis builder builds a thesis with “even though”. If students do not read the 5th instruction which asks them to adjust their answers to smooth out the thesis, they may be misled to believe that noun phrases can follow “even though”. Following these six questions, students are prompted to make an outline online. When clicked on it, online outliner incorporates answers to six questions into outliner, leading to help students to concentrate on the main ideas and order their ideas effectively.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
Although the target audience for this resource is high school students, it can be used in a variety of contexts and grade levels. The material can be used in the learning process including explanation, demonstration, practice, and application. During the explanation stage, the material can be used in class as a starting point for thesis development. This resource can be used to explain how to develop a thesis for a persuasive essay. It can also be helpful to explain the key concepts related to essay writing. Teachers can also use this resource to help students visualize the thesis development and the outline making and students can also use it to facilitate their understanding of the key concepts with regard to essay writing. This resource can also be used to practice brainstorming stage of the essay writing. Students can do independent practice at home and teachers can use it before in-class writings. They can ask students to brainstorm in groups and then they can have a discussion on students’ outlines. This resource can be applied to other types of essay writing. For instance, teachers and students can use it to teach and learn how to write a thesis and an outline for a cause-effect essay. In addition, teachers can ask students to organize their presentations / projects using the online outliner of this resource. The resource clearly presents the learning objectives: help students find a topic, create a good thesis statement, and generate an online outliner. The interactive presentation of material improves teachers and students’ abilities to teach and learn the thesis development because content is guided by ideas about what students should learn from using the resource. Thus, the use of this resource can be readily integrated into current classroom teaching and teachers can use it to create assignments and projects.
Ease of Use:
The layout of the website is very user-friendly. In the first part of the content, students are prompted to click on “see an example” to understand the rationale behind using the resource. The links to these examples are not broken and they are opened in new window. In addition, all the buttons and links are visually distinct and placed next to the item that they aim to exemplify or explain. Thus, by facilitating students’ communication with the tool, the resource facilitates understanding of the key concepts. The student navigation process is restricted by links, which makes it impossible to get lost in the material. Apart from these, by clicking on “build a thesis” and “make an outline online” buttons, students are provided with feedback to their responses. First of all, when they click on “build a thesis”, their answers to the six questions are integrated into the thesis builder and the resource comes up with a persuasive thesis statement. The resource provides appropriate flexibility to students in its use by letting students smooth out their thesis statements. Each time they make adjustment to their thesis, they can still click on “build a thesis” and the resource updates their thesis to show their changes. Then when students feel happy with their thesis statement, they can click on “make an outline online” and this online outliner also incorporates students’ answers to the six questions into the outliner. Although the resource uses students’ responses to build a thesis and to make an outline, it does not provide any feedback to students’ responses if they make any mistakes while answering the questions. As for the requirements to use the resource, a computer connected to the Internet is enough to use it. Students do not have to log in or sign up to use this resource. Also, it does not require a lot of documentation, technical support, or instruction. In conclusion, the information is presented in a way that would be familiar and attractive to students.
Suggestions for improvement:
I have a few recommendations to improve this resource: First, I would appreciate if the instructions on the website are checked because the instruction, answer the following questions in short phrases (not full phrases), may confuse the learner as the example given after the second instruction includes full phrases to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th questions except 1st and 6th questions. Some students may be misled by this error and may have trouble differentiating between short phrases and full phrases. In addition, I would prefer a variety in the thesis builder because although it is suggested as a starting point to the thesis development, it may still mislead the learner to believe that noun phrases can be used after “even though”.
Overall, this resource is great to build a thesis and an outline and to get students to brainstorm before writing an essay. I am excited about using the thesis builder and online outliner in my class and advising my students to use it to practice the thesis development and to brainstorm to make an outline.
Thesis Builder & Online Outliner
On MERLOT here
On the Web here
Quality of Content:
This resource aims to help students who have difficulty in communicating what they want to say about a topic in a persuasive paper. Students are expected to respond a few questions so that the thesis builder will create a thesis statement based on their responses.
It can be said that the content of the resource is divided into two parts: getting ready to use the resource and using the resource. It can also be said that the first part, getting ready to use the resource, is also divided into three parts. To start with, this resource organizes and sequences the content so as to maximize its clarity and coherence. It first clearly presents the logic behind the resource: help students find a topic, create a good thesis statement, and generate an online outliner. Also, by “see an example” option next to each step, students are given the opportunity to understand what a topic is, how a good thesis statement looks like, and what an outline means. That is, content is guided by ideas about what students should learn from using the resource. Secondly, students are again guided about what they will need to use the thesis builder: a topic, opinions about the topic, and reasons for your opinion and a main reason others might disagree. In other words, content proceeds in small steps sequenced in ways that are easy to follow. Lastly, instructions are given in six steps so that students can use the thesis builder and online outliner without any problems. In conclusion, the content in the first part of the resource establishes a learning orientation by providing an initial structure to clarify intended outcomes and this goal-oriented content helps to communicate the nature and purpose of the resource.
The second part of the content, using the resource, includes six questions:
· What is the topic you want to write about?
· What is your main opinion on this topic?
· What is the strongest argument supporting your opinion?
· What is a second argument that supports your opinion?
· What is the main argument against your opinion?
· What is a possible title for your essay?
By overviewing major steps of a persuasive essay via questions, the content helps to stimulate students’ thinking about the topic and to learn with a sense of direction. However, despite the answers in full phrases or in short phrases, the thesis builder builds a thesis with “even though”. If students do not read the 5th instruction which asks them to adjust their answers to smooth out the thesis, they may be misled to believe that noun phrases can follow “even though”. Following these six questions, students are prompted to make an outline online. When clicked on it, online outliner incorporates answers to six questions into outliner, leading to help students to concentrate on the main ideas and order their ideas effectively.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
Although the target audience for this resource is high school students, it can be used in a variety of contexts and grade levels. The material can be used in the learning process including explanation, demonstration, practice, and application. During the explanation stage, the material can be used in class as a starting point for thesis development. This resource can be used to explain how to develop a thesis for a persuasive essay. It can also be helpful to explain the key concepts related to essay writing. Teachers can also use this resource to help students visualize the thesis development and the outline making and students can also use it to facilitate their understanding of the key concepts with regard to essay writing. This resource can also be used to practice brainstorming stage of the essay writing. Students can do independent practice at home and teachers can use it before in-class writings. They can ask students to brainstorm in groups and then they can have a discussion on students’ outlines. This resource can be applied to other types of essay writing. For instance, teachers and students can use it to teach and learn how to write a thesis and an outline for a cause-effect essay. In addition, teachers can ask students to organize their presentations / projects using the online outliner of this resource. The resource clearly presents the learning objectives: help students find a topic, create a good thesis statement, and generate an online outliner. The interactive presentation of material improves teachers and students’ abilities to teach and learn the thesis development because content is guided by ideas about what students should learn from using the resource. Thus, the use of this resource can be readily integrated into current classroom teaching and teachers can use it to create assignments and projects.
Ease of Use:
The layout of the website is very user-friendly. In the first part of the content, students are prompted to click on “see an example” to understand the rationale behind using the resource. The links to these examples are not broken and they are opened in new window. In addition, all the buttons and links are visually distinct and placed next to the item that they aim to exemplify or explain. Thus, by facilitating students’ communication with the tool, the resource facilitates understanding of the key concepts. The student navigation process is restricted by links, which makes it impossible to get lost in the material. Apart from these, by clicking on “build a thesis” and “make an outline online” buttons, students are provided with feedback to their responses. First of all, when they click on “build a thesis”, their answers to the six questions are integrated into the thesis builder and the resource comes up with a persuasive thesis statement. The resource provides appropriate flexibility to students in its use by letting students smooth out their thesis statements. Each time they make adjustment to their thesis, they can still click on “build a thesis” and the resource updates their thesis to show their changes. Then when students feel happy with their thesis statement, they can click on “make an outline online” and this online outliner also incorporates students’ answers to the six questions into the outliner. Although the resource uses students’ responses to build a thesis and to make an outline, it does not provide any feedback to students’ responses if they make any mistakes while answering the questions. As for the requirements to use the resource, a computer connected to the Internet is enough to use it. Students do not have to log in or sign up to use this resource. Also, it does not require a lot of documentation, technical support, or instruction. In conclusion, the information is presented in a way that would be familiar and attractive to students.
Suggestions for improvement:
I have a few recommendations to improve this resource: First, I would appreciate if the instructions on the website are checked because the instruction, answer the following questions in short phrases (not full phrases), may confuse the learner as the example given after the second instruction includes full phrases to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th questions except 1st and 6th questions. Some students may be misled by this error and may have trouble differentiating between short phrases and full phrases. In addition, I would prefer a variety in the thesis builder because although it is suggested as a starting point to the thesis development, it may still mislead the learner to believe that noun phrases can be used after “even though”.
Overall, this resource is great to build a thesis and an outline and to get students to brainstorm before writing an essay. I am excited about using the thesis builder and online outliner in my class and advising my students to use it to practice the thesis development and to brainstorm to make an outline.
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