This weekend I’m presenting this project as a poster at Kennesaw State’s Research on Teaching and Learning Summit 
Description of the Project
For their second project, teams were given the assignment of creating Google Maps for a specific audience. We discussed rhetorical appeals, looked at sample maps (namely the History Department’s incredible Civil War Digital Tour), and brainstormed audiences likely to value an informative tour of Auburn’s Campus.
This project also included the first required research component. Thanks to Wiebke Kuhn, I had had the chance last semester to collaborate with Midge Coates (Auburn’s Digital Projects Librarian) on the project. Students were required to find at least one digital source per person and a variety of at least 3 types of media per team. That restriction prompted collaboration among team members to share their sources and check each other’s work rather than simply conduct independent research and leave it at that. 
Once the Audience, tour route, and “stops” were decided, individuals were responsible for generating an informative article about their individual stop and incorporating the digital media into the map.
Yesterday, I was invited as a guest speaker to a practicum meeting of Learning Assistants (Undergraduates who assist large lecture science courses) on the subject of collaborative learning. Although their course material (chemistry & physics) does not share much overlap with English composition, we had an interesting discussion about the value of group work and why it might be useful in any learning setting. One of the key takeaways is that group work only has value insomuch as it requires a group to complete it. If the task is too simple, the question too easy, then one person will (as the complaint often goes) do all the work for the others.
This project required a collaborative vision, strategy, and communication, but the content was generated by individuals. The groups earn a Team Score that applies to all members equally so everyone has a stake in the quality of the final product. Students also receive an Individual Score which is a more traditional assessment of their writing combined with feedback from their teammates on their contribution to the effort–whether they completed their share or made more work for others.
Also, the students from each class are now in competition with each other to see whose tour gets the most Views over the course of the semester. The competition will not affect their grade in any way, but it will give them the chance to promote and share their work. In other words to receive “real world” feedback rather than simply my own and their peers’ feedback.
And to that end, here are links to the 10 different tours created by both sections:
Auburn Outdoors: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zcLVIgGNcFyo.kNAU8qN0OedA (Links to an external site.)
Alumni Tour: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z73Z_hv9Q3oM.kL9ITwpK7F7k (Links to an external site.)
Tour of Auburn for Alabama Fans:https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zZmQyWv6RyV4.kFCbHIrZdgFs (Links to an external site.)
Tour for Auburn Athlete Recruits: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zKQoDEq_Gr48.kyOzH2Pelu9k (Links to an external site.)
Throwback Tour: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=z2gg4xedAOyw.kxEUevHP9vzg (Links to an external site.)
War Eagle Walk: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=z-xtXj3bVYZQ.kR8jWdUalt1I (Links to an external site.)
A History of Auburn: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=z-xtXj3bVYZQ.kR8jWdUalt1I (Links to an external site.)
Study Hard; Play Hard: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zltInmVGr-ek.kWSdUk2q4ntc (Links to an external site.)
A Walk of Romance: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zfyWmpMA222Q.kfbHnND33kRA (Links to an external site.)
Auburn in the Making: Architecture Tour https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=ziGfDPXizNj4.kyitS8H27-cw
First Year composition 