Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Reviewing Outlines
One of the toughest challenges when reviewing and giving feedback on student work is commenting on outlines. I require students on academic probation to turn in copies of their outlines to me on a rolling basis. One question I hear every year, but don't have a complete answer to, is "How can you 'correct' an outline when every outline should reflect the individual's learning style and you don't correct for content?" It's not a question I have a precise answer to because the student is correct; outlines should look very different depending on the student, and their teacher. I try to reframe the question; I don't really "correct" outlines; I give feedback designed to help the student make the most of the outlining experience. One of the reasons I require outlines is to impose external discipline on the student. They have to complete the outline because it is due, and that itself is helpful for students who have a hard time completing work on time. Another purpose of outlining is to see if the student is getting the big picture of the course. This is a challenge for me because I don't have the time to sit in on each class more than a couple of times a semester, so I am not conversant in the methods of each professor. However, I can tell when a student is getting lost in the details. Amy's post on Friday was a great way to conceptualize cases for a student who gets lost in the details of cases. And although I don't correct for content, I can tell when a student is going off the rails. If a student has only two prongs for the Lemon test in a Con Law outline, they need some serious help substantively. If I see they are having major issues with content when I review their outline, I can direct them to see their professor before it is too late in the semester. (RCF)
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/academic_support/2009/03/reviewing-outli.html