“He just dreams up writing nightmares,” is a comment that I honestly hope students in my classes never utter.
When drafting and developing a writing assignment for students in my gen-ed and honors classes, I take a step back and ask myself 2 questions: (a) Would I want to do this if I were one of my students? And (b) Does the assignment relate practically to student realities and course content?
As an undergrad and a graduate student, my best writing involved assignments that were engaging (some topic I could wrap my head around) and related to my major/specialty areas (social sciences in general and sociology in particular). Sadly, some of those assignments were little more than busy work and seemingly poorly conceived. Those indeed required creative writing! I promised myself that if ever in the position of directing or facilitating student writing, the effort and product would be worth not only the student’s time and effort in its production, but also my time and effort to read it -- in short, making it a learning opportunity and experience for both of us: writer and reader!
Okay, so what if you have one of those dreaded whacked writing assignments?
- Be certain you got it right. Often, assignments are based on readings, lecture notes, class discussions, or outside materials.
- Ask for clarification from the prof. They are getting paid to impart knowledge, not befuddle. Make them earn their money!
- If the expectation is still murky, “make it your own.” Draft what you think is asked for. Ask the prof (or teaching assistant, who is the likely grader anyway) to see if you are on track. At the very least, it will show that you not only care about the assignment but are also proactive about your grade. Don’t be afraid to shatter the prof’s notion that you are just another one of those students who attempts to manage only minimal work in the hope of a maximum grade.
These 3 common sense steps (in order of increasing recourse) ought to help take you out of the nebulous cloud of an ambiguous writing assignment and provide the opportunity to polish your writing skill, pull an optimal grade, and impress a prof with your motivation to excel.
7 comments:
Your writing assignments ARE nightmares. Even though a student will gain far more experience from writing an actual paper, you have the entire assignment outlined in a way that does not allow for any sort of creativity or learning. I know that having the entire paper outlined like a short answer questionnaire makes it easier for you and your TAs to grade, but you should really be thinking about the students. If a student can write a terrible paper, but still get 100% on it because they fufilled the minimum requirements, they are not going to advance their writing technique at all. Writing intensive courses are called so for a reason, and your assignments cannot even be called papers.
I appreciate the comments on your perception of those assignments, though it sounds like you are unfamiliar with the grading rubric that goes with each of them. And the 160 out of 190 students that did not ace their last paper would disagree with your suggestion that minimal effort gives maximum grades. Yes, the assignment sheets specify required elements but the content is only half the grade. Creativity, writing style, readability, and flow make up the other half of the grade. 100% is not given on assignments for fulfilling minimum requirements. If you look at the grading rubrics, you will see a non-minimalist approach. I appreciate your anonymous opinion but would also welcome feedback from students who actually have attended my classes and done the writing assignments.
I took your freshman level Sociology class a couple years ago and I loved it! The papers DID make me think and challenged me. I enjoyed the topics you picked because I saw how they actually related to the class material and my learning. I still recommend you to new students for this class.
It's been several quarters since I had SOC 200 with you, but I don't particularly remember having any sort of trouble with your papers. Unlike "Anonymous," I realize that some students need a bulleted list of targets that they have to hit when writing a paper. Some students aren't natural paper-writers, so when they go to it, it helps to have a map. Other students, and perhaps "Anonymous" fits in here, can hear a paper prompt and come up with a thesis in no time, and they are natural writers who don't usually see papers as obstacle-nightmares.
I've only ever met one paper prompt that allowed no room for creativity or learning, and it certainly wasn't in your class. "Anonymous" is probably imposing these creative restrictions on himself. A truly creative person and a good writer can be creative in a paper no matter how structured the assignment is.
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