Music in and of Modern East Asia > Discussion Sessions

The culmination of this module is a discussion of your second critical summaries, following the model of a conference with papers distributed in advance.

This will take place over several sessions, for which the class will be divided into groups. In advance of each, everyone will read the critical summaries by the group presenting at that session, and post comments and questions on the corresponding Canvas discussion.

Guidelines for Sessions

Everyone is expected to read all of the critical summaries to be discussed at a given session, in advance of that session. Consult Discussion Sessions: Sessions and Groups to see who is presenting at which session, and thus which papers to read.

Everyone should also review the questions and comments posted on Canvas. Those presenting should prepare to answer, reviewing their sources and potentially conducting additional research. Again, see Discussion Sessions: Sessions and Groups for links to the Canvas Discussions.

For each session, the students presenting their critical summaries will sit together. The session will be begin with each of those students speaking briefly about the source they summarized in their critical summary. Make sure to identify the source and its author. Define and explain the topic, as necessary, and summarize the sources key findings and arguments. Your comments should be VERY brief, no longer than 2 minutes. You will be timed! You will then have time to respond to the comments and questions on Canvas. This will ideally lead into general discussion.

We will hold the sessions without computers or other electronic devices (except for mine, and the projected screen), to minimize distractions from gadgets and maximize our focus on each other. Please prepare accordingly, by printing anything you wish to refer to, and making sure you have a way to take notes.

Guidelines for Questions and Comments

You should post questions and comments for at least two of the summaries discussed at a session, and ideally all of them. Look first for summaries for which there are not yet any questions and comments. If someone else has already asked something similar to what you were going to ask, indicate that in a brief threaded reply. Questions and comments should be directed at specific critical summaries, as a threaded reply to the summary of the critical summary in the Canvas discussion. If the question pertains to more than one summary, indicate that where you post it, and also add cross-references in brief threaded replies to the other summaries.

Your questions should be formulated in a way that they solicit more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer—they should generate discussion, and thus contribute to thinking. At the same time, your questions should avoid inviting speculation or statements of opinion about a given topic. Keep in mind that our goal in engaging deeply with our sources through our critical summaries is to better understand the perspectives they offer on their topic, rather than to pass judgement on what they discuss, or to imagine how it might be different. Critical discussion of how sources deal with a given topic, however, is welcome, especially if the source does present judgement or opinion.

Comments are encouraged, but not required. I encourage you to be critical, while remaining constructive and respectful. It is often appropriate and courteous to start by acknowledging some aspect of a paper that you think is insightful, provocative, or interesting. You might then ask for clarifications of particular points. You might also suggest connections with sources that you have consulted in your research.

See Discussion Sessions: Sessions and Groups for links to the Canvas Discussions where you will post your questions and comments.

Deadline for Questions and Comments

Questions and comments should be posted by the end of the day two days before the session. (So for a session on Monday, they should be posted by the end of the day Saturday.) This is to allow those presenting their critical summaries to prepare answers, and potentially to do additional research.