Comments on: Wordles, or the gateway drug to textual analysis http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/ Tips, tutorials, and commentary on pedagogy, productivity, and technology in higher education. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:32:38 -0500 hourly 1 By: Gwella » Blog Archive » Transforming Higher Education Through Technology Enhanced Learning book – chapter visualisations http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-4568 Gwella » Blog Archive » Transforming Higher Education Through Technology Enhanced Learning book – chapter visualisations Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:40:41 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-4568 <p>[...] appears to be being employed in some interesting ways by some interesting people. For example, in Wordles, or the gateway drug to textual analysis (ProfHacker, 21 October 2009) and Using Wordle in the classroom (ProfHacker, 13 November 2009) both [...]</p> [...] appears to be being employed in some interesting ways by some interesting people. For example, in Wordles, or the gateway drug to textual analysis (ProfHacker, 21 October 2009) and Using Wordle in the classroom (ProfHacker, 13 November 2009) both [...]

]]> By: Enhancement Academy » Blog Archive » Transforming Higher Education Through Technology Enhanced Learning book – chapter visualisations http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-4566 Enhancement Academy » Blog Archive » Transforming Higher Education Through Technology Enhanced Learning book – chapter visualisations Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:33:24 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-4566 <p>[...] appears to be being employed in some interesting ways by some interesting people. For example, in Wordles, or the gateway drug to textual analysis (ProfHacker, 21 October 2009) and Using Wordle in the classroom (ProfHacker, 13 November 2009) both [...]</p> [...] appears to be being employed in some interesting ways by some interesting people. For example, in Wordles, or the gateway drug to textual analysis (ProfHacker, 21 October 2009) and Using Wordle in the classroom (ProfHacker, 13 November 2009) both [...]

]]> By: MA Thesis Wordle | William Patrick Wend http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2973 MA Thesis Wordle | William Patrick Wend Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:40:31 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2973 <p>[...] heard a lot about Wordle lately and after seeing Prof Hacker’s recent post about I thought I would create a Wordle of my Master’s Thesis from last year. A [...]</p> [...] heard a lot about Wordle lately and after seeing Prof Hacker’s recent post about I thought I would create a Wordle of my Master’s Thesis from last year. A [...]

]]> By: - ProfHacker.com http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2474 - ProfHacker.com Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:23:27 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2474 <p>[...] groups, Julie identifies wordles as the “gateway drug to textual analysis” (one of our most-commented posts [chicken]); and Natalie explained how to use Library of Congress subject headings to improve [...]</p> [...] groups, Julie identifies wordles as the “gateway drug to textual analysis” (one of our most-commented posts [chicken]); and Natalie explained how to use Library of Congress subject headings to improve [...]

]]> By: George H. Williams http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2421 George H. Williams Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:44:11 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2421 <p>I've been working recently on this tutorial about Wordles and poetry:</p> <p style="margin-left: 2em;">"<a href="http://www.georgehwilliams.net/tutorials/using-wordle-net-to-help-analyze-and-compare-poems/" rel="nofollow">How to use Wordle.net to help analyze and compare poems</a>"</a></p> I’ve been working recently on this tutorial about Wordles and poetry:

“How to use Wordle.net to help analyze and compare poems“

]]> By: Julie Meloni http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2419 Julie Meloni Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:59:42 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2419 <p>In a short post of this nature, which is purely about introducing a tool to others who may then make their own decisions about it, obviously I am not including the entire context of how I've used it in the classroom. For instance, I <em>do</em> spend time explaining what it does, what it does not do, and where it fits in the greater scheme of textual analysis tools (see Stéfan's comment above). As I've said, not only do <em>I</em> not think that Wordle is the be all or end all of tools for students, but my students are aware of the inherent rhetorical issues of it as well.</p> In a short post of this nature, which is purely about introducing a tool to others who may then make their own decisions about it, obviously I am not including the entire context of how I’ve used it in the classroom. For instance, I do spend time explaining what it does, what it does not do, and where it fits in the greater scheme of textual analysis tools (see Stéfan’s comment above). As I’ve said, not only do I not think that Wordle is the be all or end all of tools for students, but my students are aware of the inherent rhetorical issues of it as well.

]]> By: George H. Williams http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2414 George H. Williams Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:09:46 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2414 <p>I apologize for my rather curt and rude comment...</p> <p>...I've got more to say about using Worldle and similar tools in a future blog post, but ScreenSteps--the software I used to begin composing that blog post--appears to have eaten it.</p> I apologize for my rather curt and rude comment…

…I’ve got more to say about using Worldle and similar tools in a future blog post, but ScreenSteps–the software I used to begin composing that blog post–appears to have eaten it.

]]> By: Larry Cebula http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2408 Larry Cebula Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:47:13 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2408 <p>WTF, George?</p> WTF, George?

]]> By: George H. Williams http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2407 George H. Williams Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:43:22 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2407 <p>No one is arguing that "we shouldn't be giving the straight dope to students." If you don't want to use Wordle in your teaching, then don't. If you want to use Wordle and let your students know what its limitations are, then do so. If you have a different and better tool for visualization in the classroom, then use that one (and let us know what it is). If you don't want to use any visualization tools at all, that's fine.</p> <p>However, if you're looking for a forum in which people argue about who knows the most about this or that tool, then take it somewhere else. <em>ProfHacker</em> ain't the place for such exchanges.</p> <p>We're the place for "Here's what we've found useful. Maybe you'll find it useful, too. If not, that's okay..."</p> <p>Dig?</p> No one is arguing that “we shouldn’t be giving the straight dope to students.” If you don’t want to use Wordle in your teaching, then don’t. If you want to use Wordle and let your students know what its limitations are, then do so. If you have a different and better tool for visualization in the classroom, then use that one (and let us know what it is). If you don’t want to use any visualization tools at all, that’s fine.

However, if you’re looking for a forum in which people argue about who knows the most about this or that tool, then take it somewhere else. ProfHacker ain’t the place for such exchanges.

We’re the place for “Here’s what we’ve found useful. Maybe you’ll find it useful, too. If not, that’s okay…”

Dig?

]]> By: Sherman Dorn http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2406 Sherman Dorn Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:23:27 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2406 <p>I guess I'm confused by this distinction between teaching and research, as if we shouldn't be giving the straight dope to students. If a tool is not useful for the scholarship of a discipline -- and I think it is an interesting and problematic pedagogical choice to use Wordle if in fact it may distort such scholarship (as I think Wordle does, not only for the reasons Jodi Dean and Seth Grime point out but, if you did want to take vocabulary frequency out of context, font size is a problematic and optical-illusion-ish way of conveying quantitative data, and I suspect the random position of words give unplanned cues to cognition).</p> I guess I’m confused by this distinction between teaching and research, as if we shouldn’t be giving the straight dope to students. If a tool is not useful for the scholarship of a discipline — and I think it is an interesting and problematic pedagogical choice to use Wordle if in fact it may distort such scholarship (as I think Wordle does, not only for the reasons Jodi Dean and Seth Grime point out but, if you did want to take vocabulary frequency out of context, font size is a problematic and optical-illusion-ish way of conveying quantitative data, and I suspect the random position of words give unplanned cues to cognition).

]]> By: Robert Wolff http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2393 Robert Wolff Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:21:40 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2393 <p>I think Wordles are pretty nifty, especially for helping my history students grasp the subtle and not-so-subtle emphasis in Wikipedia entries. Here's one from the Wikipedia's entry on the American Civil War: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1260366/The_American_Civil_War_According_to_the_Wikipedia</p> I think Wordles are pretty nifty, especially for helping my history students grasp the subtle and not-so-subtle emphasis in Wikipedia entries. Here’s one from the Wikipedia’s entry on the American Civil War: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1260366/The_American_Civil_War_According_to_the_Wikipedia

]]> By: Billie http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/21/wordles-or-the-gateway-drug-to-textual-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-2357 Billie Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:25:04 +0000 http://www.profhacker.com/?p=2981#comment-2357 <p>Let's not become chicken haters people. We are bigger than that, better than that. (And George, I'm with Julie: I have no time to color code anything. I'm too busy finding ways to write "chicken" on this website.)</p> Let’s not become chicken haters people. We are bigger than that, better than that. (And George, I’m with Julie: I have no time to color code anything. I’m too busy finding ways to write “chicken” on this website.)

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