Procedure:
- PreparationFollowing the instructor’s explanation of the term and the project, each student decides on a book or a text. The content is then quickly summarized (either in writing with a few keywords) as a memory aid for the presentation. A list is created as to who will present which book or text. This preparation can also be assigned as a homework assignment.
- ImplementationThe class is divided into two groups. One half tells the story, the other half listens. The narrators are distributed at different tables in the room. The listeners may sit for 5 minutes at an individual narrator’s table during which time text content is discussed and questions may be answered. After 5 minutes, the listeners rotate to another table. The roles are reversed in a second round, so that all students get to listen and tell a story. In a final discussion, students briefly reflect on their experiences, and the examples and quality of particularly effective presentations are discussed and commented.
Remarks:
About the term: “book dating” is a variation of the so-called “speed dating” concept. It is a method of organized partner search and dating agency, where two partners sit opposite each ofther for five minutes to chat about themselves. If there is mutual sympathy, the partners can meet again later. The object of book dating is to learn in five minutes as much as possible about a book, instead of a person, and to praise it, thus generating interest for it among the listeners.