This worksheet, compiled by Susan Ruff, is used after a mini-lecture on information order and connectivity. The worksheet enables students to check and solidify their understanding of how to order information within sentences to strengthen connectivity between sentences. From M.I.T.’s communication-intensive offering of Real Analysis.
Read more →Posts Tagged Information order
Two samples of the same writing, labeled # and %, are used to start a discussion about audience preferences and to illustrate how to order information to create connectivity. Students then test their understanding by revising the third sample. This file is set up so that if it is printed 2-sided, the samples # and % appear on separate pieces of paper for ease of comparison. Written by Joel Lewis.
Read more →This handout for a workshop on writing a math paper presents three versions of the same paragraph. The writing samples are designed to illustrate how ordering information within sentences can strengthen connectivity between sentences, thus creating flow and making the logic easier to follow. From Pedro Reis’ Undergraduate Seminar in Applied Physical Mathematics at MIT.
Read more →If you find yourself reading and rereading a paragraph of exposition with your eyes glazing over, it’s likely that the ideas are poorly connected. A good explanation of how to analyze and improve connectivity can be found in the article “The Science of Scientific Writing” by Gopen and Swan. In short, each sentence should ideally begin with familiar information, which then introduces the important new information of the sentence. If each sentence starts with something recently mentioned, then there will be strong connectivity between sentences. Connectivity is important because, when there are gaps in connectivity, readers need to work to
Read more →Context: This lesson plan is from a weekly communication recitation that accompanies M.I.T.’s Real Analysis (18.100C). This week students learn about closed sets and compact spaces (Rudin pp. 34-38). Likely trouble spots for students at this point in the term include equivalent forms of compactness and how to prove TFAE theorems (“The following are equivalent:…”). Authors: The recitation was developed by Susan Ruff based on the article “The Science of Scientific Writing” by Gopen and Swan; the sample paragraphs were written by Joel B. Lewis. Communication objectives: Ordering information so explanations flow logically. Recitation Written on the board as students
Read more →Here’s a description of what can happen if connectivity is taken to an extreme. This is from a comment written to a student: This paper exhibits excellent connectivity. I’m glad that you’ve gone through the exercise of figuring out how to create connectivity between every adjacent pair of sentences in the paper, because now you’ll clearly be able to use that tool whenever you need to. Applying connectivity continuously, though, introduces problems. When there is strong connectivity between each pair of sentences in a paper, for the reader it’s like you’re on a train that won’t stop to let you
Read more →