Assignment for Week 13

In discussing the questions you wrote for this past week, we noted that one could differentiation a number of “participant roles” (review Irvine's discussion of this concept, please) within the broader PR of “the question asker” (in other words, the “question asker” is not a single, unitary “PR”). 

One of these more specific PRs might be designated “the student”—someone who seeks an explanation about something from someone with greater knowledge or expertise.  “The student,” in other words, asks a question without sketching or imagining a successful “answer.”  A second PR might be designated “the dissenting or critical peer”—someone who asks a question, or questions, that are designed to test, or even challenge, the validity of an argument.  (Participating in this second PR, we would emphasize, is not thought to be rude in the academic world; rather, it's a sign of respect.) 

A third PR might be designated “the teacher”—someone who asks questions anticipating how those questions should be answered; in other words, the questions are not matters of inquiry or of uncertainty for the person posing the questions.  One might even say that when “the teacher” asks a question, “the teacher” anticipates a “shadow conversation”—one in which “the teacher” imagines students producing certain “responses.”

This week we want you to occupy, as strictly as possible, this third PR and compose a (simulated) “study guide” for next week’s readings.  

If you find yourself perplexed by certain passages in the reading, do not, on your (simulated)  “study guide,” ask questions to resolve your confusion; in other words, do not include questions from PR 1 above.  Instead, see or email Professor Martin or Professor Segal with those questions before you transmit your simulated “study guide” (with questions from PR 3). 

Finally, if you come up with questions from PR 2, you can include those when you turn in your assignment, and they will be eligible for “extra credit” (their quality depending).  However, please distinguish these questions from those on your (simulated) “study guide” (from PR 3).

Have fun.