Alternatives to the Iowa Workshop Model
I’m doing some research on different ways to teach creative writing and was wondering if anyone was familiar with alternative workshop models — ie. other than the traditional (aka Iowa) model?
Here’s the Wikipedia description of the Iowa model:
“For each two-hour class, a small number of students will have submitted material beforehand to be read and critiqued by their peers. The class itself consists of a round-table discussion during which the class and the instructor offer impressions, observations, and analysis about each piece. The specifics of how the class is conducted vary somewhat from teacher to teacher, and between Poetry and Fiction workshops. The ideal result of the process is not only that the author come away with insights into the strength and weaknesses of their own work, but that the class as a whole derives some insight, whether general or specific, about the process of writing.”
For alternative models, please list advantages and disadvantages as well as other considerations/restrictions.
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