Recounting the Conversation: Learning How to Write a Literature Review

Abstract

This in-class activity gives students practice summarizing, synthesizing, and evaluating information from numerous sources – skills needed when writing a literature review. As a low-stakes, collaborative, in-class writing task, this activity is also meant to help alleviate some of the fears that students may have about writing. Writing manuals like...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Research Methods

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

The activity was developed for a course on writing and research design for sociology majors at a regional public university. Students’ final project for this course is a research proposal with a literature review. However, this activity could be used in a variety of courses that require this type of writing task. The class for which this activity was...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Summarize information from outside sources without plagiarism, demonstrating selectivity in use of direct quotes. Properly attribute the source of outside information.
2. Differentiate between source material that is vs. is not relevant to specific question of interest. Analyze source material to identify consensus and divergent views. Synthesize and present material in a thematically organized way.
3. Evaluate source material so as to identify gaps in knowledge (i.e. "the conversation") and make informed suggestion for how to add to that body of knowledge.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. The majority of groups write reviews that effectively put information into their own words, demonstrate selectivity in their use of direct quotes, and properly attribute sources.
2. The majority of groups write reviews that focus on their assigned question, organize information thematically, and acknowledge multiple perspectives.
3. The majority of groups demonstrate an ability (through writing and/or discussion) to critically assess source material so as to identify gaps in knowledge and make informed suggestions for how to contribute to that body of knowledge.