Designing effective assignments Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program September 13, 2016 Albert de la Tierra & Julie Hollar 8/29/2018

Workshop Outline Writing intensive certification Kinds of assignments 8/29/2018 Workshop Outline Writing intensive certification Kinds of assignments Informal writing assignments Reading assignments Formal writing assignments Scaffolding toward a final assignment Misconceptions about writing assignments Writing-to-learn philosophy Summary 8/29/2018

Overview of WAC Certification Process Fall semester: Selected readings about WAC pedagogy Attend 4 WAC workshops Designing Effective Assignments: 9/13, 1pm Avoiding plagiarism: 10/18, 1pm Effective grading/minimal marking: 11/15, 1pm Creative classroom: 12/6, 1pm Meet your writing fellow 3

Overview of WAC Certification Process 8/29/2018 Overview of WAC Certification Process Spring semester: Meet regularly with your paired writing fellow Develop & revise teaching materials following WAC principles Syllabus: explains role of writing in your course At least 1 scaffolded writing assignment: clear due dates Present your experiences & materials at year-end colloquium Beyond Spring: Implement new syllabus/assignments Certified instructors may be asked to contribute to future WAC activities / assessment 4

“In my courses, writing consists of…” 8/29/2018 “In my courses, writing consists of…” In your current syllabi, what kinds of assignments involve writing? and/or In the course of your training, what kinds of assignments involved writing? 8/29/2018

Formal vs. Informal Writing Assignments Writing to Communicate A polished piece of work that is representative of formal writing in the field Assignment significantly impacts student grades Informal Writing Assignments Writing to Learn Focus is not on grammar or organization Low-stakes (not graded or minimal points) 6

Informal Writing Assignments 8/29/2018 Informal Writing Assignments Exploratory writing Some ideas for incorporating exploratory writing In-class writing Out-of-class writing “Shaped exercises” 8/29/2018

Exploratory writing in a Math course 8/29/2018 Exploratory writing in a Math course 8/29/2018

Reading Assignments Causes for students’ reading difficulties 8/29/2018 Reading Assignments Causes for students’ reading difficulties Assignments that require interaction with texts Marginal notes Teacher-posed questions “Translations” 8/29/2018

Benefits of Informal Writing Assignments Interact with course content Connect new concepts with previous knowledge Retain key concepts Create opportunities to explore class concepts at low risk Assess student comprehension Prevent plagiarism

Formal Writing Assignments 8/29/2018 Formal Writing Assignments Five variations on the same assignment Best practices in assignment design Some suggestions for assignments leading to thesis-governed writing Present thesis for student to defend/refute Pose a question/problem that demands student’s “best solution” “Strong response” assignments based on readings 8/29/2018

What is Scaffolding? Systematically structuring smaller informal or semi-formal assignments that build towards a larger, formal assignment

Misconceptions About writing-Focused Learning 8/29/2018 Misconceptions About writing-Focused Learning “Emphasizing writing in a course will take away from content” “Writing assignments are unsuitable in non- English courses” “Adding more writing to my course will bury me in paper grading” “I am not knowledgeable enough about grammar to help students with their writing”

Writing-to-learn Writing promotes critical thinking 8/29/2018 Writing-to-learn Writing promotes critical thinking Students benefit when they do different kinds of writing A well-designed writing assignment is the most intensive and demanding tool for eliciting sustained critical thought on a subject matter Should treat writing assignments as useful tools to help students achieve course objectives 8/29/2018

Summary Where designing effective assignments matters 8/29/2018 Summary Where designing effective assignments matters Informal writing assignments Reading assignments Formal writing assignments Scaffolding toward a final assignment Misconceptions about assignment-focused learning Writing-to-learn philosophy This workshop drew from Bean (2011) Recommend especially chapters 1, 6, 7, and 8 8/29/2018

Upcoming Workshop Avoiding Plagiarism Tuesday, 10/18 1:00-2:15pm Location: TBA The next workshop will focus on: Understanding plagiarism Strategies for preventing plagiarism Responding to plagiarism