Advantages to Using DIWE

Why instructors like it

          DIWE lessons are easy to plan and prepare.  Many instructors are able to adapt "regular" lesson plans, discussions, and collaborative learning exercises to DIWE.  Class planning does not usually take any longer on DIWE, especially after the first time, and some instructors report that DIWE lesson planning can be quicker than traditional lesson planning. You can also cut and paste into DIWE from word processing programs or email. Some instructors find that collaborative learning activities become much more successful when used with DIWE.  One reason for this may be that students are more likely to stay on topic, as mentioned below.

          DIWE creates a nonhierarchical or de-centered classroom.  In other words, students do not turn to the instructor for all of the answers in DIWE.  Instead, they practice skills of discussion, debate, and critical thinking with each other.  They are able to use pre-existing knowledge and to test new hypotheses in a "safe" setting.  DIWE breaks the dialogue pattern of "instructor-student-instructor-student" that can make some discussions feel stilted or "spoon-fed."  With DIWE, students must converse with each other and interact with the ideas of the group.  Many instructors ask their students to reach some type of consensus while in the Interchange function, thus insuring that students must respond to each others’ ideas and opinions.

          DIWE can be a lifesaver on high stress days.  Because you will do your preparation of the lesson in advance, DIWE can be run by a substitute instructor who is familiar with the program if you need to be absent due to an academic conference or comprehensive exams.  Also, since DIWE is a self-contained set of activities that requires little prompting from the instructor, you can give your voice a rest for a class period. 

          DIWE can help you check on reading comprehension. If you are using the Respond module to ask students questions about their reading assignment, you can check for both reading completion and reading comprehension by asking students to print their Respond sequence and turn it in to you.

          DIWE keeps students focused. There is very little, if any, down time in DIWE.  DIWE Interchange groups are accountable for staying on topic.  If they drift into a “what did you do this weekend?” conversation, they know that you, the instructor, will have a record of that conversation in the transcript.  Students tend to stay on task in DIWE. 

Why students like it

          DIWE creates a space for the more reserved students in a classroom discussion.  The student who never speaks in class may feel much more comfortable voicing opinions in writing.  In turn, the more vocal students gain a new perspective when the discussion is more balanced between reserved and talkative students.  Similarly, it is difficult for a boisterous student to dominate a DIWE session.  Some students seem to feel more comfortable disagreeing with and even debating their peers in a written environment. 

          DIWE Interchange transcripts and Response sequence printouts provide a complete record of a class session.  Students appreciate having this kind of record without the burden of extensive note-taking.  Students can then use the printouts or computer files from class sessions to review for exams or to start writing a paper.

          DIWE provides a hands-on, interactive learning experience.  It also acts a break from the routines of lectures, roundtable discussions, and traditional collaborative learning.  The new physical setting of the computer lab breaks the sense of classroom routine as well.

How it improves writing

          DIWE offers an Invent module, which helps students overcome the problem of choosing a topic and creating a thesis.  Doing this type of pre-writing activity during class time may help students develop strong pre-writing habits of their own.  Also, students can receive quick feedback on their initial paper ideas from you, the instructor, or from their peers.   

          DIWE makes the link between discussion and writing explicit.  Students see, in writing, which claims spark debate (and therefore might function as a strong claims or thesis statements in paper). 

          DIWE, in the Interchange modules, forces students to encapsulate their critical thinking in the precision of the written word.  Also, students seem more likely to ask their peers to clarify a statement in Interchange than in a classroom discussion.  In this way, students regulate each other for precision and clarity. 

          DIWE, in the Response module, facilitates targeted and specific peer reviews.  The instructor can easily program multiple types of peer reviews into Respond, allowing for a progression in peer reviews as students’ writing skills improve.