The premise of the activities in this resource (appropriate for an individual or a group) is that the time that students spend between lectures, seminars and workshops is as important as the time they spend in class sessions because this is how and where students develop the critical ability to work independently. However, students, especially first-years, need to be taught these skills and these activities provide guidance on how you might go about that work with methods that that push beyond the well-worn phrase, ‘read the book and think about it.’

Participants are put into pairs. Facilitator asks for a volunteer to demonstrate the activity. Facilitator says ‘1’, volunteer says ‘2’, facilitator says ‘3’, volunteer says ‘1’, facilitator says ‘2’, volunteer says ‘3’. End of demonstration. Pairs now take up the activity. After a couple of minutes the facilitator stops the activity and recalls the volunteer. The demonstration is identical except that ‘2’ is replaced by a clap. Pairs take up the new activity. After a couple of minutes the facilitator stops the activity and recalls the volunteer. The demonstration is identical except that ‘1’ is replaced by a stamp of the foot. Again, after a couple of minutes the facilitator stops the activity and recalls the volunteer. The demonstration is identical except that ‘3’ is replaced by a click of the fingers. Pairs now take up the final activity. End and feedback.

This resource contains a pair of exercises that explore ways in which the Creative Writing workshop might be supported by technology in face-to-face, blended or distance learning contexts.