Please note that while the initial choice of which version to use is somewhat arbitrary, it is important to use the same version for the pre-, in- and post-class activities as a whole unit this is because some of the questions appearing in the in-class lesson/workshop and/or post-class activities build on work completed in the pre-class activities ( e.g. we do not use the same version in concurrent terms). We cycle different versions across different terms to minimize the potential that students enrolled in our course in concurrent terms will share answers (e.g. We have designed these activities to take students approximately 30-60 minutes to complete they form a small part of the graded continuous assessment for students enrolled in a science communication course at our institution, but could also be deployed as not-for-credit activities.Īll different versions/banks have been used and refined following student and instructor feedback, and all of them focus on the same important concepts. by students who have previously completed them). We recommend asking students to complete the activities online so as to reduce the likelihood that worksheets of these activities are printed and enter the student domain over time, these questions will reduce in value if copies are posted online (via blogs etc. Lastly, students are asked to complete the post-class activities online, as a final learning tool and wrap-up to help them solidify the concepts they have learned and gain some more practice in applying these to real writing situations.Ī Note on Asking Students to Complete the Pre- and Post-Class Activities Online We also provide a PowerPoint presentation to accompany the lesson/workshop, and a timing guide with teaching prompts to help instructors encourage students to get the most from these sessions. We provide student worksheets for the in-class activities, as well as TA and Instructor versions of these worksheets, which also include suggested solutions to the activities. The in-class lesson/workshop has been designed to encourage an interactive, conversational approach to completing the activities this should help students to resolve any confusion from the pre-class activities and discuss the importance of the writing skills they are learning to master with their peers and instructors. The in-class activities are designed to improve students’ writing skills and to give them experience in working with partners/small groups on related activities. Passive Voice’).Īt our institution, we ask students to complete the pre-class activities online as preparation for the in-class lesson/workshop, so as to give them some exposure to the concepts that will be explored in more detail in class. To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or unimportantĮvery year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having cancer.We have designed pre- and post-class activities (essentially ‘homework’ exercises for students) to complement the in-class lesson/workshop for this specific science writing-skill component ( ‘Active vs. The procedures were somehow misinterpreted. After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by. The data processing department recently presented what proved to be a controversial proposal to expand its staff. To keep the subject and focus consistent throughout a passage To emphasize the action rather than the actorĪfter long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-range planning committee. There are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice. If the subject of the sentence is somewhat anonymous, see if you can use a general term, such as “researchers,” or “the study,” or “experts in this field.”.Rewrite the sentence so that the subject buried in the “by” clause is closer to the beginning of the sentence. If you find one, the sentence may be in the passive voice. Look for a “by” phrase (e.g., “by the dog” in the last example above).Here are some tips and strategies for converting sentences from the passive to the active voice. Passive: It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be caused by high stress. Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by Congress.Īctive: Researchers earlier showed that high stress can cause heart attacks. In a sentence written in the passive voice, the subject receives the action.Īctive: The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget. In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. Passive voice sentences often use more words, can be vague, and can lead to a tangle of prepositional phrases. Generally, try to use the active voice whenever possible.
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