What Writing Students Get From the Net: Using Synchronous Communication
to Develop Writerly Skills
Character Creation Unit Preparation for Going Online
Students need to be prepared for online experiences. On one level, they
need to have a context for what they are being asked to do. This context
can be provided through readings related to their experience and discussion,
of the readings or/and of the experience in general. On another level,
students' anxieties about any completely new medium must be allayed through
exposure, practice and reassurance. The preparation for the Character Creation
unit was somewhat more heavily weighted toward getting students comfortable
with MUSH protocols, because that was the element that was most new to
them.
Readings and discussion
The introduction to Sherry Turkle’s Life on the Screen (New York:
Touchstone, 1997), entitled "Identity in the Age of the Internet."
Experience
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Previous experience with MUD clients and commands through MOOing in a previous
unit.
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One class period dedicated to familiarizing students with MU* structures
and protocol.
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One class period where students could begin their exploration of MUSHes
and character creation with their peers and instructor present.