Design a Better Writing Assignment

I work with a lot of instructors who use writing in their teaching. One of the challenges of teaching with writing is that without the right kinds of support, students might struggle to accomplish learning outcomes, get frustrated about the writing process, and result in more work for teachers when it’s time to give feedback. By situating writing assignments in a sequence of well-scaffolded activities, students can get support from the process, and you can write holistic feedback that will help students make progress toward your learning outcomes.

Take a look at my post on GradHacker with strategies for designing writing assignments that can help students refine the skills they already have, as well as hone new skills through practice, exposure and feedback.

[Image by Flickr user James Harrison and used under Creative Commons license]