F-Pattern Strategies: Teaching Idea

Purpose: Prioritize & Direct Your Readers’ Attention

If you teach Technical Communication, here’s an in-class Zoom Activity to apply the course reading F-Shaped Pattern of Reading on the Web. This activity helps students:

  • Learn how to prioritize text and to direct readers’ attention
  • Assess their resumes (or other genre) for how they engage their readers

In-Class Zoom Activity (about 30 minutes)

  1. [Cameras off. On their own] Student review the article. 4 minutes
  2. [Cameras on. Brief class discussion]. Reinforce for students the idea that we can prioritize and format text to direct users to what you want them to see, and to what you know they want to see. 5 minutes
  3. [Cameras on. In Break-out Rooms]  Students use the strategies given in the article to create a check list to assess their resumes (or another genre. Have each group explore one item in depth, following the link. 5 minutes
    • Consider how to apply these "Best Antidotes to the F-Shaped Pattern" to your resume
  4. [Cameras on. Whole Class Discussion]  Share checklists. 10 minutes
  5. [Cameras off. On their own]  Use checklist to assess their resume and to develop a list of revisions. 5 minutes
  6. [Cameras on. Whole Class Discussion]  Share revision strategies.

Might be too much cameras on and off. Not sure. But, I’m playing with this idea of giving students space to engage privately and publicly via designated on/offcamera time. If you have thoughts on how to strengthen this activity, please share!

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