Collaborative Character Profiles and Analysis

English teachers have access to a simple tool that makes analysis of characters and other elements of literature collaborative and engaging for students. That tool, is Google Docs.

Google Docs allows multiple authors to contribute to a single document at the same time - it's a great way of allowing multiple students to contribute to a whole group's understanding of an idea or concept. In this case, I'll use an example that explains how you can take advantage of shared knowledge to quickly develop a rich character profile for a protagonist from a play - we'll explain how students contributed to profiles for Othello, Desdemona, Iago and Emilia in the Shakespearean play Othello.

You begin the process by building up a template of topics, attributes and behaviours that define the character in the play. A blank document can be created and easily shared using the "Share" button of Google Docs, and you can choose to share to other Google Accounts (particularly useful in an Apps for Education context), or to students using a public link.

When students follow that link they'll see the template provided, as well as the cursors for all other contributors to the document. Create a document for each of the major characters - Iago, Emilia, Othello and Desdemona - and assign students to groups (or allow them to choose their own). Give them a short time frame to contribute - say, 5-10 minutes depending on the complexity of the questions you're asking - and you'll quickly see students contributing and expressing disagreement about a student's contribution. Make sure they don't overwrite anything, and after the time is up, use any conflicting suggestions as a way of delving deeper into the material, and coming up with consensus amongst the group.

In less than half an hour, you'll have developed extensive character profiles for the major characters in the play, and every student will have had an opportunity to contribute. This allows for much more time in class to discuss and analyse rather than simply recalling information - and that's where the value of any kind of exercise exploring character profiles really lies.

Give it a go - and you'll be surprised by how easy it is, and how great the benefits are for the students!

Bruce Fuda

Team Rutherford

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Bruce Fuda

Apple Distinguished Educator
SLC - IT / Technology / Learning Technologies
Stromlo High School, ACT

Web: http://fuda.me/

Email: bruce@fuda.me

Twitter: @Bruce1979