Developing your own academic opinion
Having heard different elements today, you are going to be supported through a sequence of activities during period 6 to delve into an area of academic interest and form an evidence based opinion
Overview of the session
You will engage in research around something that interests you, assess a variety of perspective and develop and evidence based opinion
Purpose
To engage with multiple perspectives in an academic discipline of and develop an informed opinion
Outcome
To reach a conclusion about the most compelling approach to answering the given question
Process
Using a combination of artificial and human intelligence, you will develop diverging ideas through specific AI companions and evaluate and analyse the range of information through your own lens
heLP FOR THIS SESSION
Please find a video below to help you check on what you are doing, a step by step order and a rather helpful Google Slides template to help you record your thoughts.
Make a copy of the Google Slides template and use it to keep the notes that you are asked to…
Step 1
Choosing a question to explore
You will already have some thoughts. Action: Pick one question from one of the subject pages of the booklet.
Step 2
Initial research
Use an associated link on the subject page of the booklet. OR, use one of the two links below and search for your relevant area
Outcome: One question chosen and ready to explore
Outcome: 5 points of interest noted in your template
Step 3
Discover multiple perspectives
Use the AI perspective finder to help you settle upon 3 perspectives, angles or ways in which your question can be approached
Step 4
Evidence finder
Use your 3 chosen perspectives with the AI companion to find relevant evidence. Determine whether this evidence is valid and useful.
Outcome: 3 perspectives chosen and copied to your template
Outcome: 1 or 2 pieces of evidence for each perspective
Step 5
Perspective and evidence task
Now that you have determined 3 different perspectives or ways of approaching your question, you need to consider the evidence that you have found and develop your opinion as to the most compelling way to approach an answer to your question
Evidence weight
Does the evidence that you have gathered have enough gravity and meaning? Do you need to look for a little more?
Exploring the evidence
Whilst the AI companion has pointed you in the direction of evidence do you now need to conduct some deeper research on this evidence?
Opinion
You are looking to create an evidence based opinion on the most compelling piece of evidence – which feels most worth pursuing?
Convince
Work towards convincing the other members of your group that the chosen approach is evidence based
Presentations
Each of you will talk through what you have discovered, researched and concluded.
Show your template as you go along