Each Flipped Learning Module (FLM) is a set of short videos and online activities that can be used (in whole or in part) to free up class time from content delivery for greater student interaction. At the end of the module, students are asked to fill out a brief survey, in which we adopt the minute paper strategy. In this approach, students are asked to submit their response to two brief questions regarding their knowledge of the module.
In this FLM, students are asked to watch three videos, covering the topics of evaluating initial research questions, entering a research conversation, and creating conversations through research.
Key Terms
scholarly conversation, research questions, search scope and results, argument, exhibit, annotated bibliography, strategies
Module Overview
- Evaluating Initial Questions
- Introduction to Module
- Different Questions Serve Different Functions
- Potential Research Questions to Avoid or Revise
- Strategies for Narrowing Questions and Claims
- Search Results and the Scope of the Conversation
- Entering a Research Conversation
- Potential Search Results and Conversations
- Finding Too Many or Too Few Conversations
- Joining and Creating Conversations through Research
- Conversations and Arguments
- Bringing Articles into Conversation
- Joining Conversations through Annotated Bibliographies
Download Video Transcripts
Video 1: Evaluating Initial Questions
The Scope of Research Questions and Conversations Online Activity 1
Based on the reasons for revision related to structure and content that are described in the video, indicate why each of the research questions below should be revised. Some questions may have more than one factor that makes them a weak or non-viable research question.
- Will human beings ever travel beyond our solar system?
- What factors make sandals the right shoe choice for summer?
- Did Irish immigrants face significant discrimination?
- What do African Elephants eat?
- Should children have educational opportunities?
- Does the human brain remember important events accurately?
Submit your response to your instructor.
Video 2: Search Results & the Scope of the Conversation
The Scope of Research Questions and Conversations Online Activity 2
Choose an exhibit you may want to write about. Before you type the name of your exhibit into the BU Library search, predict what you will find and answer the following questions:
Part 1: Do you think you will find too many conversations, no scholarly conversations, or a manageable conversation about this exhibit? What aspects of your potential exhibit cause you to expect the type of results you predicted? (your response should be about 40-75 words)
Part 2: Type the name of your exhibit into the BU library search. Scroll down through at least the first forty results in the list if there are more than forty.
Write an analysis of 150-200 words about the result list you received. How close was your prediction to what you found? What aspects of the list surprised you? What trends do you notice in the results as you look at the titles and types of sources (articles, books, etc.)? Do all the sources in your result list seem to be about your exhibit? How can you tell? If you received very few results, why do you think you received so few?
Submit your response to your instructor.
Video 3: Joining & Creating Conversations through Research
The Scope of Research Questions & Conversations Online Activity 3
Return to the search results you received when you searched the BU Library for sources related to your exhibit. Concisely summarize the range of results you found in 1-2 sentences. Then brainstorm a plan for finding and understanding a conversation that you can respond to through an analysis of your potential exhibit. Your plan should be between 150-200 words, including your questions at the end.
Step 1 (do only the one of these three possibilities that applies to what you found)
- If you found too many conversations, brainstorm a set of specific steps for sorting through these conversations to find one with which you can engage.
- If you found no usable conversations from scholarly sources, brainstorm a set of specific steps for finding a scholarly conversation with which you can engage.
- If you found what might be a single viable scholarly conversation, explain what factors make you think you have one conversation, then skim one source in your result list by looking at the abstract, introduction, and citations. What are your first impressions of this conversation and how you can join it through your analysis?
Step 2: Write 1-3 specific questions for your classmates about doubts you have about potential strategies. Think carefully in order to write questions that are useful to you and that your classmates can answer.
Submit your response to your instructor.
The Scope of Research Questions & Conversations Survey
Please answer the following two questions, and submit the responses to your instructor.
- What was the one most important thing you learned from this module?
- Do you have any unanswered questions for me?
The Scope of Research Questions & Conversations In-Class Activity Option 1
The Scope of Research Questions & Conversations In-Class Activity: Option 2
Strategies for Navigating Conversations: Mini Peer-Review
In-Class Preparation:
Create a Google doc and share it with your partner. Both of you should paste your online activity from Video 3 into the doc. After you have prepared the doc, figure out how much total time you have to complete the activity and divide the time so that you spend an equal amount of time on the project of each partner.
Go through the following steps as each of you receives comments as the researcher:
- Read through each other’s brainstorming plans.
- Ask the researcher for clarification on any parts of the brainstorming plan you do not understand clearly from reading the plan. The researcher can also talk briefly about the results and provide any additional information about his or her current research situation that seems relevant.
- The commenter will answer the following questions for the researcher. Copy and paste these questions into a word processing document on your laptop in order to compose your responses. When you are done, paste the questions and your responses into the Google doc.
- What do you think is the best strategy or part of the researcher’s brainstorming plan? Why do you think that strategy will be successful?
- What do you think is the strategy or part of the researcher’s brainstorming plan that is least likely to be successful? Why do you think it is less likely to be helpful?
- What strategies should the researcher use that are not mentioned in the plan? Why do you think they would be useful?
- Answer at least one of the researcher’s direct questions.
When you are the researcher, you should continue to work on your searches and/or reading an initial source as your partner answers the questions above.
- In the time remaining for that researcher, have a brief discussion in which you brainstorm what the next steps for the researcher should be. If you are the researcher, you should take notes of key points in the discussion and also share briefly with your partner any new relevant discoveries you made while they were reviewing your plan.
Switch roles and repeat the four steps above.
Class Discussion: After work in pairs is completed, be prepared to discuss your evaluation of research strategies in an all-class discussion.
Download Worksheet 2
