What I learned from observing the class
Students love the opportunity to write. They don't have to be convinced of the value of writing if they see the effort the teacher is putting in, as well as their own effort.
Everyone did the reading, everyone did the writing, and the students talked without prompting after the first few weeks. But, I am still confounded: This abstract, philosophical material makes it hard to gauge learning.
I am confident that I didn't hurt the students: They did as well as they would have with a lecture format, plus they received the bonus of writing well, so they came out ahead. Therefore, I will keep moving forward with this writing-intensive format.
What I'm doing to refine the course
The biggest change that I'm making this semester is class length. By going to an hour and a half class, we don't run out of time for discussion.
I've changed the nature of my short lecture that begins each course. Instead of giving a chapter overview, I now include content pieces that expand the text.
At this point, I'm still considering what to do about peer editing.
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