Checklist for Designing Writing Assignments
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INTEGRATING THE ASSIGNMENT INTO THE COURSE
Connect the assignment to the course content.
Determine
the pedagogical purpose of the assignment.
Use
the assignment to monitor the students' progress in and understanding
of the course.
WORDING THE ASSIGNMENT
State
the purpose of the assignment.
Suggest
strategies for responding.
Design
the assignment to allow for more than one "right" answer.
USING THE ASSIGNMENT FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES
Design
the assignment to help students synthesize and comprehend course materials.
Use
the assignment to stimulate critical thinking.
Use
the assignment to introduce discipline-specific writing conventions.
Use
the assignment to facilitate communication between student and instructor.
Use
the assignment to expand the range of the course.
Offer
students choices of topic and approaches.
ATTENDING TO THE MECHANICS
Hand
out printed copies of the assignment.
Offer
sufficient but succinct explanation.
Give
students sufficient time to consider the assignment, write, revise.
Communicate
your expectations for students' responses and your grading criteria.
---from Rebecca Moore Howard and Sandra Jamieson, The Bedford Guide to Teaching Writing in the Disciplines: An Instructor's Desk Reference