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EMERGING ISSUESAffinity Groups"MacIntosh Users!" "Workplace Issues!" "Challenge Cycle!" "Large Classes!" With a short prompt, institute participants called out topics of similar interests during a full group discussion at the VKP institute. Throughout the next two days, participants signed up under topics on which they were most interested in a continued dialogue. These affinity groups, besides "affinning" (à la Patricia O'Connor), provide VKP participants a forum to discuss focused lines of interest that play into the larger, national questions on the scholarship of teaching and learning. These interests have a wide range, from practical logistics to higher order thought processes. Two outcomes which directly affect the groups resulted from the conference: first, a comprehensive list of possible topics for affinity groups, and second, action plans from six affinity groups that met during the final day of the Institute. What did the groups talk about? When brainstorming the nature and purpose of their individual affinity group, members had a variety of ideas specific to their topic. "Critical Thinking" focused on how group members could be resources for one another by sharing bibliographies or providing feedback, models and support for an individual's project. "Workplace Issues" decided a discussion format on such thorny issues such as technical support, uses of student evaluations in faculty evaluations, and intellectual property issues would serve them better. "Student Construction" is going to do just that: concentrate on the student and issues involved in their learning development, such as how reading and writing differs for the Web and how to get technology taught without it overwhelming the course. How do I get involved in an affinity group? And if I'm already involved in an affinity group, where do we fit in with the national project? Our goal for the next month is to give participants a chance to reflect on their commitment to a particular affinity group and also think about how they will best be supported in the group dynamic. We have a large list of possible affinity group topics, some of which are general and could apply to everyone in the Project, some specific enough that and maybe only one or two would be interested in them. A few groups expressed desire for considerable Web support from the national project; some seemed pretty self-sustaining. While not detracting from the importance of the larger project dialogue, these groups will serve participants' needs for more focused and selective dialogue on issues that ultimately improve our knowledge base on the scholarship of teaching and learning. We have established workspaces for each of the Affinity Groups in the KeyTalk discussion tool. We've also established an Affinity Group networking page which lists all of the groups and those Summer Institute participants who signed up for each one. This page is located within the KeyTalk webspace. (For more information on this, please see What's New on the Web Space in this issue.) In the meantime, please think about your interests and ability to make a commitment to a group discussion. When you have a minute, please send your group and us some ideas of how the national project can support your needs, wants and conversations, using what has been already brainstormed as a guide. Let's keep the connections going - in the meantime, happy affinning!
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