Insegnare la letteratura attraverso la discussione on-line: www.learningliterature.it

Abstract

The dissertation aims to highlight some issues related to University teaching with particular reference to foreign literatures courses. It is divided into two parts: the first one is theoretical and presents three chapters where topics such as the structuring of syllabus, the choice of teaching methodologies and the use of information technology are discussed; the second one is more practical-applicative, because it describes the creation and the teaching exploitation of a Web Site (www.learningliterature.it) used as a support to the courses of English Literature, in which a Forum gave students the opportunity to discuss on a series of points related to the curriculum. Through the support of information technology it was thus possible to apply the fundamental indications of recent pedagogical research, essentially related to a greater centrality to be assigned to the direct reading of literary works, and to the necessity of removing students from a passive and merely receptive role, thanks to teaching and learning modalities based on discussion and cooperation. However, the Web Site and the Forum were designed to supplement lectures in order to compensate some of their main disadvantages. The experimentation was thus meant to create a mixed teaching modality where it was possible to take all of the advantages of on-line teaching while continuing to assign importance to the direct contact with students. [edited by Author]