Learning Outcomes

1. Gain Shakespeare Literacy

I was introduced to more of Shakespeare's works in this class, both through performance and reading. I particularly enjoyed reading Hamlet, since that work is widely known and interpreted, but before this class I had never read nor seen it. The most surprising work I read was Winter's Tale, which seemed to have some un-Shakespearian effects (the statue coming to life). After this class I feel that I have a better appreciation of Shakespeare's works as well as a wider knowledge of the various interpretations of his works.

2. Analyze Shakespeare Critically

I feel very comfortable analyzing a work by Shakespeare. The more performances I see of his works, the more I like to make connections across his works and see parallels between plots or characters. I especially enjoyed attending the live performances at the Grassroots Shakespeare Company. Although I struggled analyzing his written work at the beginning of the semester, I think I have improved since I can now recognize prose, poetry, and the colloquial forms characters will speak in. 

4. Share Shakespeare Meaningfully

Sharing what I was learning in class was a different approach that I had never before taken in a class, but it enhanced my learning experience. When I would share what I learned, I found myself more interested in the topic and I thought about what I was learning more as a result. After I had written my research paper, I sent it to my dad. Not only did he help me edit my work, but also we had a discussion about my ideas. He loves Shakespeare, and I was surprised to find nearly everyone I talked to had some sort of tie or opinion about Shakespeare. My final paper helped me connect with a Shakespeare actor as well as a blogger. 

5. Gain Digital Literacy

Using a blog to post about our ideas as a class helped me gain digital literacy. It was easy to link webpages or share clips through a blog, and my classmates helped me with my ideas. As I mentioned before, I was able to e-mail a blogger who had posted about my research topic. Gaining information digitally and socially was a new experience for me, because before this class I had only ever used articles or webpages. This way helped me connect to a whole audience that was available to me.

This class has helped me rethink how I will do research in the future. One of the things that has stuck with me was Professor Burton explaining that our ideas need to have social value, and once someone talks about how they are interested in a similar topic, we become more invested in our ideas. I no longer think about research as the dull, inhuman medium it used to seem.