Sequencing Writing Assignments Welcome to the online version of “Sequencing Writing Assignments.” In this presentation we’ll discuss how writing assignments can be developed as sequences of texts that help you and students focus on skills important to specific parts of the learning process. NSU Write from the Start Writing and Communication Center www.nova.edu/wcc

First, consider a hobby like photography First, consider a hobby like photography. While anyone can take a photo using a point-and-shoot camera, there are a range of skills that go into being a professional photographer, skills that must be learned over time and that often require trial and error to master. It wouldn’t make sense for someone to go out and attempt the most difficult forms of photography first. Rather, people first learn the basics of camera technology, aesthetics, and lighting, and progress to more advanced skills. They attempt specific types of photos that help them build skills in specific formats and techniques. And they depend on advice and feedback from others to develop their own sense of which photographs are most successful. In other words, becoming a better photographer naturally involves a sequence of learning activities, and this learning can be facilitated by others who have mastered this activity, or who are also attempting to do so. Writing assignments can be designed that move students through a sequence of activities that lead toward increased understanding and application of course content. These assignments can focus on specific skills students can acquire over time, and provide opportunities for feedback that focuses their attention on the skills being learned. Such sequences often include “low-stakes” “writing-to-learn” activities that encourage students to develop skills through writing without these assignments needing to be graded. Too often, writing assignments in classrooms are structured as high-stakes end-of-term projects that display rather than facilitate student learning, and students and instructors miss out on the many ways that writing can be used throughout the learning process.

“Scaffolding” vs. “Sequencing” So, what do we mean by scaffolding and sequencing writing assignments? Providing scaffolding for student learning often involves building skills in one assignment that are needed for future assignments. These assignments often move from simple to complex tasks, or from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Scaffolding can also refer to specific help we give to students to complete a specific assignment. For instance, for some writing tasks, the instructor might provide examples of past student work, or provide a template to fill out rather than expect the student to develop it herself. A sequence of assignments can break the process of writing into separate tasks that allow students to focus on one skill or one part of the process at a time. By doing this, instructors can make sure students are grasping foundational concepts before moving onto more complex ones, they can help students master course content in manageable chunks, and they can help students make good decisions throughout the learning process. For instance, students attempting to write a business plan would benefit from earlier assignments that helped develop their skills to do things like set measurable goals, format a cover letter, and establish a budget.

Examples of scaffolding: Starting with students’ experience/language Discussion of terms that students will encounter in assigned reading Participating as research subject before designing own experiment Working as group before working individually Working with evaluation rubrics before final assessment Maintaining a reading journal to practice summary and argument Remember, students can be involved in developing scaffolding as well, creating resources or acting as discussion leaders Scaffolding can refer to any way in which you build the learning of skills needed to complete the course into writing assignments. It could also refer to ways in which you introduce course content to students by starting with their own experiences or prior knowledge. The goal is that students become prepared for work in the class by participating in activities that enable them to learn and practice needed skills before they are assessed formally. In addition to the examples shown here, one common form of scaffolding in writing classes is to have students create outlines, or complete instructor-provided templates that identify the major components of the desired document. A simple proposal for a research project, for instance, can be easily done by students filling out a pre-made template that asks them specific questions about their idea. Revision can be guided by providing students with checklists to focus their attention on genre-specific issues. Providing scaffolding is one way to de-mystify the process of learning and writing, showing students ways to use and develop resources that can help them accomplish academic and professional goals.

Example of a writing sequence: Proposal Pre-writing Idea-generation Research Methods Annotated Bibliography Summary Identify gap in research Evaluate methods Draft Lit Review Quotation Data Analysis Final Draft Conclusion Citation Formatting Example of a writing sequence: TEXT PRODUCED LEARNING FOCUS Here is an example of a typical writing sequence that could be found in any course that requires an academic research project. Rather than simply asking students to submit a completed research paper, this sequence asks students to break this process into several steps, beginning with putting together a short proposal. At the proposal stage, students focus on asking good questions, and choosing appropriate research methods. They might then be asked to generate an annotated bibliography that reviews what has been published previously on their topic. At that stage, students might focus on writing accurate summaries and evaluating other researchers’ methods. Eventually, students would gather their own data and generate a draft of the paper focusing, at this stage in the sequence, on writing a coherent literature review and presenting their own data and analysis. Later, when the final draft of their project, they can focus on issues of citation and formatting. There are two main benefits to this kind of sequencing. First, it enables students and instructors to focus attention on learning tasks. If students know the purpose of the proposal is to allow the instructor to provide feedback on their proposed research question and method, then both they and you don’t need to worry about issues of how their paper is going to be organized, what specific sources they will use, or sentence-level errors. Instructors likewise don’t have to feel like they need to comment on everything in a student submission, but can focus their comments on those skills the writing assignment is meant to strengthen. Secondly, by the time a student does turn in a final draft, they will have received feedback along the way that makes it less likely that there will be significant issues to deal with in their final draft. This also makes it less likely that the student will have wasted a large amount of time, for instance, pursuing a research question with methods that were poorly chosen. The end result is better student writing and better student accomplishment of course goals.

Building on another sequence: Personal Reflection Pre-writing Reflection on experience in response to question Group Discussion Entering conversation Positionality Evaluate evidence In-Class Presentation Summary Analysis Lit Review Proposal Planning Idea generation Research methods Building on another sequence: TEXT PRODUCED LEARNING FOCUS Now, we just saw a sequence of assignments starting with a proposal and moving toward a research project. But a proposal is not necessarily the beginning of how a student learns to do good research that is both personally engaging and academically sound. Before students can identify a good research question and select an appropriate research method, instructors could ask them to participate in various activities that help them develop their critical thinking about what good research is and does. This could include asking students to reflect on their own experience or on assigned readings. These reflections could become the basis of group discussions among students that help them evaluate claims and evidence, and practice responding to others questions. Group discussions could end with a short in-class presentation that brings together the group’s various positions for discussion by the whole class, which could focus their conversation, for instance, on finding gaps in the conversation that could be the basis for a research project in the class. The individual student proposals would benefit from the students having discussed their experiences and ideas with other students before seeking the instructor’s response. Creating sequences of activities that combine reflection, discussion, and writing can be an effective way to help students fulfill course goals.

Questions? www.nova.edu/wcc wcc@nova.edu Thank you for your interest in improving student learning at NSU through writing. If you have questions or want to work with our staff to please go to our web site or contact us at wcc@nova.edu. We look forward to working with you. www.nova.edu/wcc wcc@nova.edu