Independent Activity

This activity will help you understand the key differences between high school and college-level writing by analyzing writing samples and evaluating their level of critical thinking. You’ll use AI to generate writing samples and then apply your knowledge of Bloom’s Taxonomy to assess them.

Instructions:

1. Review Bloom’s Taxonomy: Familiarize yourself with the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation) as described in the previous chapter of this textbook. Pay close attention to the characteristics of each level and how they are demonstrated in writing.

2. AI Interaction: Writing Sample Generation: Use an AI writing tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.). Provide the AI with the following prompt:

   “I’m learning about the differences between high school and college-level writing. Please provide three writing samples (1-2 paragraphs each) on the topic of [choose a topic relevant to your course, e.g., the impact of social media on society, the role of government in regulating the internet, etc.]. One sample should demonstrate primarily knowledge and comprehension (high school level). One should demonstrate application and analysis (approaching college level). And one should demonstrate analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (college level). Do not tell me which level each sample is intended to represent.”

3. Analyze the Writing Samples: Carefully read each of the samples provided by the AI. For each sample:

   • Identify the Dominant Levels of Thinking: Which levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy are most evident in the writing? Provide specific examples from the text to support your assessment.
   • Evaluate the Depth of Critical Thinking: How effectively does the writing demonstrate critical thinking? Does it primarily report information, or does it analyze, synthesize, and evaluate?
   • Assess the Level (High School or College): Based on your analysis, determine whether you think the sample is more representative of high school or college-level writing. Explain your reasoning.

4. AI Interaction: Feedback on Analysis: After analyzing the examples, provide the AI with your analysis and ask for feedback:

   “I’ve analyzed the writing samples you provided. Here’s my analysis: [paste your analysis of each sample, identifying the dominant levels of thinking and whether you think it’s high school or college level, with explanations]. Can you tell me if my analysis is accurate? If I’ve misidentified the levels of thinking or if my reasoning is unclear, please let me know.”

5. Reflection: Write a short reflection on what you learned from this activity. How did analyzing the AI-generated examples help you understand the differences between high school and college-level writing? Did you find it challenging to identify the levels of thinking and evaluate the depth of critical thinking? How will you apply these insights to your future writing assignments to ensure you are meeting college-level expectations?

Example AI Prompt:

“I’m learning about the differences between high school and college-level writing. Please provide three writing samples (1-2 paragraphs each) on the topic of the impact of social media on society. One sample should demonstrate primarily knowledge and comprehension (high school level). One should demonstrate application and analysis (approaching college level). And one should demonstrate analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (college level). Do not tell me which level each sample is intended to represent.”

Estimated Time: 75 minutes

Discussion Board Activity

Instructions:

“This activity will help us collectively understand the key differences between high school and college-level writing by analyzing writing samples and evaluating their level of critical thinking. We’ll be using AI to generate these samples and then applying our knowledge of Bloom’s Taxonomy to assess them together.

Before You Begin:

• Review Bloom’s Taxonomy: Familiarize yourself with the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation) as described in the previous chapter. Pay close attention to the characteristics of each level and how they are demonstrated in writing.

Part 1: Sample Generation and Initial Analysis (Initial Post)

1. AI Sample Generation: Use an AI writing tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) to generate three writing samples (1-2 paragraphs each) on a topic relevant to our course. Use the following prompt, replacing the bracketed information with a course appropriate topic:
   • “I’m learning about the differences between high school and college-level writing. Please provide three writing samples (1-2 paragraphs each) on the topic of [choose a topic relevant to your course, e.g., the impact of social media on society, the role of government in regulating the internet, etc.]. One sample should demonstrate primarily knowledge and comprehension (high school level). One should demonstrate application and analysis (approaching college level). And one should demonstrate analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (college level). Do not tell me which level each sample is intended to represent.”
2. Post the Samples: In your initial post, paste all three writing samples. Do not reveal which level you think each represents.
3. Your Initial Thoughts: For one of the samples, provide your initial analysis.
   • Which levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy do you see most evident in this sample? Provide specific examples from the text.
   • How effectively does this sample demonstrate critical thinking?
   • Do you think this sample is more representative of high school or college-level writing, and why?
4. Invite Peer Analysis: Ask your peers to analyze the other two samples and share their thoughts.

Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Part 2: Peer Analysis and Discussion (Peer Responses)

1. Analyze the Remaining Samples: Read the samples posted by your classmates. Analyze the two samples that your classmate did not analyze in their initial post.
   • Which levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy are most evident? Provide specific examples.
   • How effectively does the writing demonstrate critical thinking?
   • Is it high school or college-level, and why?
2. Discuss Your Findings: Share your analysis of the samples with your classmates.
3. Provide Feedback: Provide feedback on your classmate’s initial analysis. Do you agree with their assessment? Why or why not?

Estimated Time: 110 minutes

Part 3: Reveal and Reflect (Follow-Up)

1. Reveal the Levels: After receiving feedback from your peers, reveal which level of Bloom’s Taxonomy each sample was intended to represent.
2. Discuss the Analyses: Discuss the different analyses provided by your peers. What did you learn from the different perspectives? Were there any surprises?
3. Reflect: In a follow-up post, reflect on what you learned from this collaborative activity. How did analyzing your classmates’ samples help you understand the differences between high school and college-level writing? How will you apply these insights to your future writing assignments?”

Estimated Time: 25 minutes