Made Not Only By Me: Coauthoring a Children’s Book with Text and Image Generation

This assignment, by Brandee Easter, is from the TextGenEd collection in the WAC Clearinghouse Repository.

The abstract from the site explains:

This assignment asks undergraduate students to explore image and text generation technologies to create a short, illustrated children’s book. Although text and image generation technologies are different, experimenting with them in parallel challenges students to reflect critically on the co-constitutive relationship between writing and technology. This approach was particularly useful for making “visible” how technologies can participate in, create, and sustain biases.

Key Features of This Assignment

Collaboration and Shared Creativity
Students are required to work together in small groups to produce a creative work. This promotes teamwork and helps students experience the dynamics of collaborative creation, emphasizing the idea that creativity is often a communal rather than solitary activity.
Reflective Component
Each student must write a reflective piece about their contribution to the project and the group dynamics. This reflection encourages students to think critically about their role in the collaborative process, the challenges they faced, and the learning outcomes from working with others.

Multimodal Product
The final product of the assignment can take various forms, such as a video, a website, or a multimedia presentation. This flexibility allows students to explore different modes of communication and expression, catering to diverse skill sets and interests within the group.