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Target Artifacts

 As a student, I have a love-hate relationship with target artifacts. Sometimes, I am so focused on the task that I do not notice them. You may also think that I am busy and that would be true, too. Nevertheless, when I check target artifacts, I wonder: Can I make something that will be comparable to this? How can I make it mine? I have observed a similar attitude in my students' behavior.

So far, I have been using weekend challenges to support my students' receptive skills, which are listening and reading, mainly by using YouTube videos. This week, I have a completely new kind of challenge, which will be focusing on knowledge application and creating a short presentation.

Making a presentation is not a small feat for an intermediate language learner. It requires focus, attention, factual knowledge, the digital skills, the ability to resist the use of AI, AND restraint. How can they learn these skills the best? It seems that they could benefit from cooperative learning in small groups. 

Here is my dilemma: Should I curb my students' creativity by providing them with target artifacts? Dr. Dennen knows that providing an artifact might result in copies of nearly identical products of learning. A possible solution might be in providing two very different artifacts. How do you handle this problem in your class?

Comments

  1. JenSum26July 1, 2026 at 8:22 AM

    I really love the idea of providing examples of past assignments, though I take you point that in certain cases, it can be intimidating or seem like a suggestion that THIS is how you do this assignment. Your solution of providing two different versions is a good one, or perhaps more than that. I do think it is helpful to know that something is A grade worthy--especially if there are two types of execution that got that grade. I think a rubric in addition to the examples provides a lot of info for students. I'm doing the concept version of the assignment due this week, and I really wish I had an example of a past assignment. The instructions on the project are pretty specific, but part of me still wants an example. Sometimes I think it's harder to step into the void than it is to move forward after looking at a really good version of a paper. One option gives me a clear target to shoot for, the other, only the direction from my interpretation of the instructions. Interpreting is certainly an assessable event, but sometimes it's more intimidating.

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