Text-based Protocols: Analysis

Three peer-reviewing techniques that were unfamiliar to most of the students were introduced to the class over the course of a couple of weeks. We read five articles in total: two on pop culture, two on whether obesity is a public or personal concern, and one on financial literacy. Each student completed the assignments and contributed by sharing their work and ideas. Students were able to learn from one another as well as improve their learning abilities through the activities. 

The first peer review was for "text rendering,” which required us to select one word, one phrase, and one sentence to represent the text. Then, for each, we had to write a paragraph explaining why it was chosen. This discussion was enjoyable for me because it allowed me to converse with people that had never spoken to me before, as well as share and hear other people's ideas. My classmates assisted me in better understanding and analyzing the information in the text. However, the activity did present a few difficulties for me. I felt very constrained searching for specific items that I had been instructed to look for. Many things could have been said, but by limiting myself to specifics, I was unable to express and share as much information as I would have liked. Then, as we were writing and discussing in our group, it became clear that writing a paragraph for each detail was extremely redundant. Despite my belief that it wasn't the best assignment, I learned to closely read and annotate based on the ideas and analyses of my peers. 

The second task was the "Four A's" assignment. I found ideas to agree with and argue with, as well as finding an aspiration from the article and an assumption. Similar to the first assignment, I wrote a paragraph for each A. It was a great assignment because it was brief and straightforward. Each "A" was the subject of strong, diverse opinions and justifications, which added interest to the article. Each group member had a different perspective on the article and that made the discussions well thought out and strongly opinionated. The conflicting perspectives that we all hold were the only difficulty I encountered while completing this assignment. Every member of the group had a unique strategy for aspirations. One was a desire for change, one was a personal desire, and the last was the author's desire.  As I heard my peers' elaborations, this activity tested my ability to listen and communicate. 

The final exercise involved a financial literacy article, and it became more challenging as it went through peer review. The task was drawn out and filled with redundant and unnecessary filler information. My group's talkative members would frequently run out of time, while the more reserved members (like myself) hardly ever did the full time. I felt compelled to include filler information for the assignment, which made it challenging for me to get to the point. Despite the assignment being my least favorite, I did learn some listening skills and realized that I much prefer to speak briefly rather than in depth. Due to the length of the assignment, I did not receive feedback from my peers, but I did observe how well they absorbed the criticism and feedback that they received. 

The "Four A's" exercise was my favorite of all the tasks we completed because I was able to voice my opinions and learn about other people's similar viewpoints. That task was the one where I felt the most at ease because it forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and express my thoughts to others. Overall, the assignments helped me communicate and be extroverted for a few seconds at a time.