Symbolic Systems 203 - Cognitive Science Perspectives on
Conflict, Violence, Peace, and Justice (Davies, Spring 2014-2015)
Some Tips on Writing Online Comments in Symsys 203
[This version: March 30, 2015]
The written work required of students in this seminar consists
entirely of weekly comments on the course blog. Comments should be
between 300 and 500 words (not more). Blog comments are due
at 12 noon prior to the 3:15 pm class period each Monday, to give
just enough time for your fellow students and me to read your
comment, and for you to read theirs. The following are some
tips on writing blog comments which are more likely to get high
marks. These guidelines may be added to or amended later.
1. There are many ways to write an effective comment.
I am reluctant to define what constitutes an ideal comment
for this reason. There is no one way to do it. A good blog comment
might be, for example:
- A claim that an author of that week's reading has made
inconsistent arguments, showing what the inconsistency is and
why it is inconsistent;
- An elaboration of a point made by an author, especially in a
case where the original argument lacks sufficient illustration,
data, or examples;
- A diagram or outline of a complex argument, or any other way
of summarizing what is otherwise hard to follow;
- An argument against an author's claim;
- An alternative argument in favor of an author's claim or a way
of recasting it;
- A proposed solution to a puzzle, e.g., asking why an author
has made a claim, or has approached a problem in a certain way,
with an answer that cites other things the author says in order
to tie together loose ends or to complete an argument;
- A question that arises from the text, even if you have no
solution to it, but with a clear explanation for why the
question arises, why it is hard to answer, and how we would know
if we had an answer;
- Generalizing different points that are made by an author,
explaining what the more general principle is, and citing the
individual points made by the author as examples.
The above is not an exhaustive list.
2. The purpose of an online comment
is not to grade the author of the target text, or say whether you
liked it or not.
Evaluating the quality of a text is not easy, especially when
you are a student reading a well-regarded piece of writing.
This is not to say that you should avoid making your own
evaluations, but pure statements of evaluation, such as "I found
this irritating" or "I really liked this chapter" are not that
useful in comments for an academic course. If you are going to
evaluate something, you should give reasons that take the form of
arguments, and evidence them clearly with quotes or references to
the text in question.
3. The purpose of online comments
is to help everyone, including you, to think more deeply about the
text.
A good blog comment should be a springboard for discussion,
which is one reason why comments are due sufficently ahead of the
class starting time so that they can be read, at least by the
instructor, before the discussion happens. Part of this
involves direct engagement with the text, e.g. citing specific
quotes and referring to page numbers.
4. Your comment should show
evidence of having read the assignment.
Indeed one of the purposes of making online comments due
before class is to get everyone to do the reading before the
discussion. Your comment need not summarize everything in the
assignment for a given week, but it should not be so absent of
direct references to the text that it could have been written
without reading the assignment.
5. Be wary of the "obvious" point
that the author misses.
Assuming the reading that is assigned is highly regarded, it is
unlikely that a point that casual readers would think of easily has
escaped the notice of the author. A famous psychologist once
responded to a series of questions about his study after a lecture
by saying, "Look, we've been working on this for years, have heard
hundreds of arguments, and run lots of variations. Anything that you
can think of in two minutes is not likely to be a fresh
insight." While this may have been a harsh response, it
expressed what a lot of serious researchers feel when readers or
audience members show a lack of regard for their intelligence.
6. If you are commenting on a piece
of text embedded within a larger whole, such as a chapter of a
book, and have not read the whole, consider the possibility that
the point or question you are thinking of is addressed in what you
have not yet read before criticizing the author for not including
it.
It is reasonable to mention or comment upon what seems to be
missing, but again, not in a way that assumes the author is unaware
of it. You can say, "I will be looking for an answer to this
question in the coming chapters," or "Perhaps this is dealt with
elsewhere, but...".
7. Do not make claims without
backing them up with evidence of your own, either from the text or
from outside.
This is part of the mark of a serious comment. Hold yourself
to the same standard that you would hold the author. Citing a
hyperlink is permitted, as are direct quotes and references to the
target or other texts.
8. Avoid ad hominem or
impressionistic remarks about the author or their writing.
Again, this is a serious academic exercise.
Calling an author a socialist, Bush-lover, or aging hippie would not
be permitted in an academic paper, and shouldn't appear in your
online comment. Likewise, you should avoid statements like
"this is a diatribe..." or "it seems like he just loves...".
These are your impressions. You can channel them into useful
comments by making claims that are supported by direct references to
the text, or summaries thereof.
9. Remember that you are writing
for others who have read the same thing you have, in most cases.
Among other things, this means that you don't need to rehash things
that would be clear to anyone who has read the text. As you
read, you might notice that some parts are harder to understand than
others. This is a clue that you might have value to add by paying
more attention than the average reader would, perhaps going back and
reading previous sections to better understand the one in question,
and that you can then share your effort in your comment.
Another consequence of writing for others who have read the same
thing is that, obviously, you can't get away with making false
claims about what the author says. Make sure what you say is
accurate, and cite evidence as needed.
10. It is okay to share a personal
bias or perspective, but this should help people understand your
point, rather than being the point you want to make.
A simpler way to say this would be, "The online comment is
not all about you." At the same time, it can help us to understand
where you are coming from if you are open about your background and
personal reaction. This should then lead into a point that can
be argued on the basis of more objective evidence from the text or
elsewhere.
11. It is okay to refer to another
online comment, or to something other than the reading, but this
should not be the only thing you refer to.
Online comments are about the week's reading, first and foremost.
Sometimes an interesting exchange will occur between students in a
comment thread, or someone may have already made a point that you
want to make, and you can and should refer to it before elaborating
or adding your own twist.
12. Be careful about posing
questions like, "I wonder what everyone thinks about Y...".
You can pose questions, including ones calling for responses from
the class, but you should make your own position clear and argue for
it, or if you are genuinely puzzled, give us as good an
understanding for why you are puzzled as possible.
13. It is better to make one point
well than to make multiple points less well.
As my criteria for scoring comments are insightfulness, clarity, and
thoroughness, it is hard to achieve these for more than one
point. Making two or more points unthoroughly or unclearly
does not equate to making one thoroughly and clearly. While it
is true that you may increase your chances of hitting on a point I
would regard as insightful if you make multiple points, I tend to
score based on average insight across points rather than the maximum
among them.
14. As with discussions, remember
that each week is a learning experience.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. The scoring of comments is
inherently subjective, which is one reason why I have devolved some
of the basis for it onto self and peer scores. If you
run afoul of the above guidelines, don't feel bad about yourself.
Just chalk it up to experience and try to do better the next time.