Designing Effective Writing

Assignments

PDIJanuary 6, 2011

Emily Morgan

Session Overview Writing and Discussion: Why do we

assign writing? A.D.D.I.E Assignment Writing Workshop Writing Resources

Please feel free to ask questions or add comments at any time

What is an EFFECTIVE writing assignment?

Take a moment and respond to the question: What is an effective writing assignment? In other words, why do you assign writing in your classroom?

Effective: definition having an intended or expected effect/result.

Give a man a fish; he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish; he’ll eat as long as there are fish in the pool.

Design an assignment that helps him learn how to stock and manage his pool, and there is no telling how far he might go!

A.D.D.I.E Analysis

Design

Development

Implementation

Evaluation

AnalysisDo you know what you need to do?

Look at course objectives; keep these as central focus

Who are your students? What do they know? What will they need in order to be able to meet objectives?

Do the students know the objectives and the standards expected of them?

DesignWhat do you want students to do?

Break down course objectives into more manageable goals that promotes graduated learning

Explain what each objective looks like in student work/performance; observable behaviors (avoid “know” and “understand”)

Decide how you want your students to show you their learning (ie: what genre of writing? Collaborative or independent? Stages or end-product?)

Bloom’s Taxonomy in Action

Knowledge/Comprehension: • summaries, reports, reviews, quizzes--demonstrate

comprehension or understanding Application/Analysis

• analyze--break the whole into parts and describe the relationship of the parts to the whole

• apply--using concepts in new or different contexts• Summary/Response writing

Synthesis• •synthesize--pull together ideas and show relationships among

them• Argument papers, letters to editor…any time they must make

and support a claim Evaluation

• Peer review

Genres of Writing Choose an appropriate genre for your discipline and your

audience

Examples:• Report• Argument• Review• Summary• Letter• Poster• Proposal• Brochure• Web page• Powerpoint• Speech

Questions to ask when in “Design” mode

What will it tell about what’s been learned? Is it connected to the “real world”? Does it appeal to the interests of the

students? How does it connect with the course? And

the goals of the course? Does the assignment assess what students

can do or what they know? Does the assignment require specialized

knowledge?

DevelopmentIs the prompt explicit for the end result?

Explain how the assignment fits into the course

List purpose/objectives of assignment Identify a specific audience Explain all requirements necessary Give some kind of evaluation criteria Make the assignment as transparent

as possible Decide what kind of direct instruction

needs to happen

ImplementationAre students getting what they need?

Direct instruction may be required• Have some writing resources at your

fingertips• Have a clear idea of how you want the

paper formatted and spend a few minutes of class time going over it/sharing resources

Are class lessons reinforcing the writing assignment? Do the students see the connection?

Are multiple drafts being done?

EvaluationDid it do what you wanted it to do?

Two levels of evaluation• Student Assessment (Grading)• Instructor reflection

Stick to your grading criteria when assessing• How will I evaluate the work?• What constitutes “successful”?

Reflection• Did the assignment meet the objectives?• Did the students show signs of learning/growth?• What are some gaps in learning to revise next time?• Were there any unintended consequences?• Will you have to do more direct

instruction/implementation?

Assignment Design Workshop

Part 1: using the acronym ADDIE, design or improve one of your writing assignments• Choose a writing assignment you intend to

give in your course or course objectives you would like reach and/or assess through a writing assignment.

• Write down your objective(s) and a brief description of the assignment.

• Complete the grid by answering applicable questions about your assignment.

Assignment Design Workshop

Part 2: Peer feedback on assignments.• Exchange grids among a small group.• Read the assignment description and the

responses on the grid.• Make notes about areas that need further

consideration. You might raise questions, make suggestions, or note how students might respond.

CSU Writing Resources Writing Across the Curriculum

http://wac.colostate.edu/intro The Writing Center (located in Eddy

6)http://writing.colostate.edu/wcenter

Writing@CSUhttp://writing.colostate.edu

g(uaranteed)t(ransfer)Pathwayshttp://writing.colostate.edu/gtPathways