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Designing Effective Writing Assignments for Deeper Understanding

Learn how to design writing assignments that promote critical thinking, deeper understanding, and individualized learning, while improving your relationship with students. Explore examples and strategies for creating well-designed prompts that align with pedagogical goals.

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Designing Effective Writing Assignments for Deeper Understanding

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  1. Designing Effective Writing Assignments Elizabeth Saur, PhD Writing Center Coordinator SUNY Cortland April 9, 2019 http://tinyurl.com/04092019

  2. Why Assign Writing? • Writing encourages: • Critical thinking • Deeper understanding • Connection with the topic • An individualized approach to learning

  3. Research done by the Association of American Colleges and Universities demonstrates that writing-intensive courses are a “high-impact practice” in undergraduate education (George D. Kuh, High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter, 2008). • Research done by Michele Eodice, Anne Ellen Geller, and Neal Lerner (The Meaningful Writing Project, 2017) demonstrates that certain writing projects can be especially meaningful parts of undergraduate education. • Writing can improve our relationship with our students. When students write papers, we get to know them and their thinking better; they’re more likely to talk with us after class, or come to our office hours to share a draft or seek advice. - Brad Hughes, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WAC Director

  4. Why Prompts/Assignments Matter “A well-designed assignment will make the elements of the task clear to students. This includes identifying relevant intermediate assignments and activities, such as topic proposals or literature reviews for longer assignments, as well as providing information about relevant writing, research, and collaboration processes. In general, it is also advisable to list grading criteria on the assignment sheet. Making the assignment clear to students will help them better understand the scope and challenge of the assignment. It also is likely to produce better learning and performance.” - WAC Clearinghouse

  5. Consider an Example • Take a look at this prompt and consider/write/talk about: • What is the prompt asking you to do? • How would you respond if you were a student? • What are students being evaluated on? • What is the purpose of the assignment? • Example 1

  6. Steps Toward an Effective Writing Prompt • Tie the writing task to specific pedagogical goals, particularly those articulated in the overall course goals. • Note rhetorical aspects of the task, i.e., audience, purpose, writing situation. • Break down the task into manageable steps. • Make all elements of the task clear. • Include grading criteria on the assignment sheet • Consider larger goals

  7. 1. Writing Should Connect to Goals • Ask questions about your assignment to help ensure that writing tasks tie directly to your teaching goals in the class: • What specific course objectives will the writing assignment meet? • Will informal or formal writing better meet teaching goals? • Will students be writing to learn course material or writing conventions in the discipline or both? • Does the assignment make sense?

  8. “Backwards Design” • Why should students write in your class? State your goals for the final product as clearly and concretely as possible. • Determine what writing products will meet these goals and fit your teaching style/preferences. • Note specific skills that will contribute to the final product. • Sequence activities (reading, researching, writing) to build toward the final product.

  9. 2. Consider the Rhetorical Situation • When designing your assignment/prompt: • Think about audience • Consider ways by which you can create a meaningful context for your students beyond the space of the classroom • Encourage your students to think critically on genre and formatting • How do these connect to and reflect the purpose of the assignment itself? • Can take place through written reflection or conversation

  10. 3. Make the task manageable • Break down the assignment into steps or sequences (scaffolding) • Emphasize writing as a (non-linear) process • Brainstorming/researching • Drafting • Processing and assessing feedback • Revising • Editing • Each step focuses on a particular set of skills • i.e., an annotated bibliography focuses on research and summarization while a literature review focuses on bringing sources in conversation with one another

  11. 4. Be as transparent as possible • Include evaluation standards • Means of assessment • Grading Criteria/Rubric • Situate within larger goals and purposes

  12. Another Example • Take a look at this prompt and consider/write/talk about: • What is the prompt asking you to do? • How would you respond if you were a student? • What are students being evaluated on? • What is the purpose of the assignment? • Example 2

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